


The Remains of the Day

by Darkshines1984



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-12-26 04:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 25,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12051645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkshines1984/pseuds/Darkshines1984
Summary: Janeway and Seven get abducted during a salvage mission in a nebula. The enforced time together brings feelings they have both tried to keep hidden to the surface. Based somewhere in season 6/7 and ignoring all the Chakotay/Seven nonsense at the end of the show.





	1. Chapter 1

 

The conference room was silent apart from two opposing voices. Captain Janeway gazed out the viewer and into the star filled space of the delta quadrant, aware of what was being without moving to interrupt two of her most senior officers in mid flow.

 

The current topic of disagreement was the fate of the ships long range sensors which had gone offline when Tom had accidentally piloted them too close to the edge of a dust cloud. The ship had been rattled all over the place but luckily the sensors were the only casualty. Unfortunately they were reluctant to come back online.

 

“Can't you just kick it?” Tom Paris grumbled from the far end of the conference table.

 

“In case you didn't notice, taking a blow was what took the sensors offline in the first place” B'Elana sniped back from a couple of seats to Janeway's right.

 

The two really did make an unlikely couple especially when they publicly argued like a pair of children. However in this instance she could understand why the tension was high. They needed dilithium, a rare ore, to bring the long sensors back online and until they found some they were practically flying blind. They certainly were at a tactical disadvantage when encountering other spacecraft.

 

“So it's all my fault you can't fix them?” the pilot practically whined at his girlfriend.

 

“No, it's all your fault they have to be fixed in the first place” the Klingon replied coolly.

 

Their bickering was getting them nowhere and Janeway had finally had enough. It was time for them to can it so they could all start working on a practical solution.

 

“Alright enough” she cut in firmly.“We could go around in circles for hours like this. The fact of the matter is that we need a source of dilithium as quickly as possible.”

 

Her tone was effective at silencing Tom and B'Elana and the two sheepishly lowered their heads. The rest of the room had been silent whilst they scrapped but now Chakotay, Ensign Kim, Tuvok and Seven all looked engaged in the discussion.

 

“That may prove difficult considering our current isolated location” Tuvoc spoke up. He was sat opposite B'Elana to Janeway's left, with Chakotay between them.

 

Janeway usually appreciated her friends logic but it was really quite unhelpful at this moment in time. She was well aware they were currently in the middle of nowhere in one of the vastest pieces of uninhabited space they had crossed on their long journey home.

 

“Incorrect” Seven stated matter of factly.

 

All eyes fell on the blonde who sat to Janeway's right. The ex borg hadn't uttered a word all meeting which wasn't unusual, she often didn't speak unless it was necessary. The Captain wished that the other woman would be more liberal with her words in this instance though. She certainly had no issue with communicating when she disagreed with Janeway or wanted some sort of philosophical discussion on humanity.

 

“Elaborate” Janeway encouraged the blonde to continue.

 

“The unusual supernova nebula I scanned just two days ago has an asteroid field caught within it. That asteroid field contained clear readings of dilithium.”

 

Seven's explanation was as succinct as ever but it was also music to the Captain's ears. The blonde had informed her about the nebula at the time but Janeway hadn't had time to read the report so was unaware of the specific details. She had denied Seven's request to take a closer look at the anomaly due to a wish not to prolong their time in uninhabited space. It tended to lower crew moral when all they saw was stars for weeks on end. It looked like Seven would now get her wish after all.

 

“We could be there within twenty hours but the salvaging process could be dangerous” Chakotay commented.

 

“It would be unwise to fly Voyager directly into the nebula” Tuvoc agreed.

 

Janeway wanted to bang the two men's heads together; firstly for stating the obvious and secondly for being so dour. It wasn't as if they had any better options after all, it was either fly on blindly for weeks and hope they came across a dilithium source before they came across danger or deal with the issue immediately. It wasn't as if they were strangers to nebula's. Janeway loved a bit of scientific exploration, it made a welcome change from her daily routine of reading and writing reports.

 

“No” Janeway agreed. “Seven and I will pilot the Delta Flier into the Nebula.”

 

The solution flowed out of her mouth without her really considering what it would mean. It was unlikely that they would find a large enough deposit of dilithium instantly so her and Seven would be cooped up in the cramped shuttle craft for a large number of hours. Considering her recent attempts to put a little bit of emotional distance between the blonde and herself it was probably unwise...yet now she had suggested it she had no intention of changing the plan.

 

“Captain surely someone else should accompany Seven...” Chakotay began to protest but she raised her hand to silence him.

 

“Nonsense” she replied calmly. “The ship will be safe in your hands and I could do with a change of scenery...That is if Seven of Nine finds my presence on the mission agreeable...”

 

Janeway observed the blonde for her reaction and was pleased to see the tell tale quirk of her cortical implant and a slight upturn in the corner of her lips. Seven was smirking. Janeway always enjoyed witnessing that expression.

 

“Of course” Seven responded.

 

Janeway turned to her first officer to see if she had any other protests. Chakotay appeared to be resigned to the fact her mind was set on this course of action and merely nodded his head.

 

“Mr Paris, get us to that nebula asap...B'Elana get the Delta Flier prepped for the mission...meeting dismissed.”

 

Within the minute the room was empty except for the Captain, who was gazing out at the endless stars again. Or so she thought. After a few quiet seconds she realised that someone lingered between the table and the door. They were stood so rigidly still that it could only be the ex borg. She turned her head to look at the younger woman.

 

Seven was stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her attention completely focussed on watching Janeway. It was the kind of gaze the blonde used when trying to unlock the mysteries of human emotions. The Captain couldn't blame Seven for being confused by her actions. It had been a while since she had initiated the two of them spending time alone together and now here she was suggesting the two of them go ore fishing inside a nebula together.

 

“I am pleased that it will be you who is accompanying me” Seven stated.

 

Janeway opened her mouth to respond, although she didn't know what to say. Seven turned and left before she got the chance.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Janeway was comfortable at the helm of the Delta Flyer. She was a decent pilot and always enjoyed flying the smaller crafts where more of the commands were input manually. They had launched just a few minutes before and were now on route to the nebula. There ETA was six and a half minutes but they could already see the anomaly clearly from the view screen.

 

Seven was quietly sat alongside her monitoring the sensors and any data the Delta Flyer was beginning to collect. Janeway could see the blonde out of the corner of her eye but once she was confident they were on course she glanced across at the other woman.

 

Seven was deep in concentration, her brow furrowed as she poured over the sensor readings and compared them to those she originally picked up on the long distance scanners from Voyager. Back when they had fully functional long distance scanners. Seven's long fingers moved quickly over the PADD and the controls of the Delta Flyer, her completely human hand seemingly as fast as the one covered with the metal mesh.

 

What was meant to be a quick glance was turning in to a long stare as Janeway continued to watch the blonde work with rapt attention. Then suddenly she wasn't watching the side of Seven's face but staring into curious blue eyes. The other woman had turned her head to face Janeway and it was too late to hide the fact she had been staring.

 

“Captain?” Seven inquired; quirking the brow covered by her cortical implant.

 

Janeway didn't have a reason for looking at the ex borg other than the fact she had been enjoying doing so. She could hardly give that reason to the blonde though.

 

“Everything okay with the readings?” she deflected.

 

Seven quirked her brow again before glancing down at the controls. She tapped a few commands in before responding.

 

“Affirmative” the blonde stated without glancing up.

 

It appeared that Seven thought the conversation was over, or perhaps she had noted that Janeway wasn't being completely open. Once upon a time it was possible to slip subtle indicators past Seven without her understanding. Now she may not always understand the exact emotion behind all subtle indicators but she was aware of them...they didn't go unnoticed.

 

The Captain felt the urge to redirect the conversation again to relieve the awkward air between them. If there even was an awkward air, it was very possible she was imagining it due to her own thoughts and feelings.

 

“You get to check out your nebula after all” she quipped, trying to change the mood. Humour usually fell flat on Seven though and this time was no different.

 

“Yes although the circumstances are regrettable” the ex borg replied matter of factly as she continued to work.

 

Janeway knew she should follow Seven's lead and go back to focussing on the nebula they were fast approaching. Instead her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and without conscious thought she defaulted to the thing that had been laying on her mind for 24 hours.

 

“You left quickly after the meeting” Janeway stated.

 

In truth it had been playing on her mind ever since. She had even lost sleep over it which was never good when preparing for an off ship mission. It wasn't good for a ships captain to be distracted, especially not one who had managed to get her ship flung millions of light years from home in an unknown and dangerous quadrant of space. Its one of the reasons she had tried to step back and shake Seven of Nine out of her head.

 

“I had said all I wanted to say” Seven replied calmly.

 

Janeway was disappointed with the answer. She wasn't sure what she wanted Seven to say or what the younger woman could really say...that didn't stop her heart sinking.

 

“Really?” the Captain pressed casually, looking down at the controls in front of her and carrying out some basic checks so she had an excuse to look anywhere but at the blonde.

 

“Yes” Seven said a little defensively. There was shift in her demeanour straight away though, like she was frustrated with her own answer.

 

“You have not initiated any attempts to spend time with me for weeks. I had expected you to send someone else with me such as Lieutenant Torres or Commander Tuvoc.”

 

Janeway had tried to be subtle and covert in her attempts to distance herself a little from the blonde but apparently she had failed. Seven was aware of the distance and had expected it to continue. The ex borg even sounded and looked a little hurt by the Captain's behaviour. Janeway felt like she had been slapped, it had been a completely selfish act to try and create that distance and she hadn't taken the time to think about how Seven would perceive her actions.

 

“I am glad you did not” the blonde added with a surprisingly soft tone. She turned her head to look directly at Janeway and the older woman found herself lost in azure eyes.

 

She felt her breath catch and her heart rate increase. Seven would be aware of all these physical markers, her cortical implant allowing her to pick up what would be nearly imperceivable changes to others. This was one of the reason's she had tried to hide...it was becoming harder to prevent herself reacting to the younger woman. Janeway had a lucky escape from the charged moment when the sensors began to beep.

 

“Erm...” she stuttered, breaking eye contact. “We're entering the nebula. We should probably focus.”

Seven's eyes snapped back to the console in front of her and she began to tap away again at the controls. Janeway carefully manually manoeuvred them through the safest entrance to the nebula and into a more open area at the beginning of the asteroid debris field.

 

The view screen was filled with what looked like a never ending spread of floating rocks. Many of them would have trace readings of the ore due to them impacting together. It would take some careful monitoring to find the asteroids with large enough deposits to extract and use. They hadn't decided on a flight pattern as it was impossible to judge until they were inside the nebula itself.

 

“Left of right” Janeway quipped.

 

Seven quirked an eyebrow as she continued to frantically scan the readings. The Captain could tell that there were indistinguishable readings from both directions or she'd have been given a clear answer immediately.

 

“Right” Seven finally answered. There was little confidence in her voice.

 

“Are you sure?” Janeway asked, chuckling nervously as she spoke.

 

Seven didn't respond in words, just with a slightly disparaging look. Janeway knew that the borg instinct was not to guess so the blonde would be irked by the fact she was having to make a fifty fifty call. The fact she now could was a clear example of the amazing progress Seven of Nine had made in understanding and embarrassing her humanity.

 

“Right it is” the Captain said affectionately.

 

She could feel the blonde's eyes on her as she steered the Delta Flyer right and deeper into the nebula.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Seven had been at the helm of the Delta Flyer for some four and a half hours. The Captain was napping on one of the bunks at the rear of the vessel and had been for nearly two hours.

 

The ex borg had offered to take the first shift, running sweeps across the asteroid field in the dense nebula. At first Janeway had been sat in the bunk reading what Seven presumed was a novel. She made this assumption because every now and again the older woman would chuckle to herself. Seven doubted any of the departmental or personal reports could provide that much amusement.

 

The blonde had noticed that the Captain had slipped into sleep when her breathing had evened out and slowed. A glance to the rear of the ship showed that Janeway had slipped down the bunk and was now peacefully curled up, hand still clasping the PADD.

 

Seven didn't mind the lack of conversation. She had her work to focus on and it wasn't utterly silent in the Delta Flyer. There was the hum of the engines, the buzz of the consoles, the low and consistent beeping of the scanners and of course the nearly imperceptible sound of Janeway inhaling and exhaling. Seven didn't feel alone and was content just simply being in the same space as the Captain. It hadn't happened for a while.

 

Seven often struggled to grasp human emotions but even she knew her thought's were loaded. For a long time she had considered her relationship with the Captain to be merely one of friendship. Yes it had felt different to others, to the Doctor and to other crew members who had made an effort to make her feel included. The Doctor had explained to her though that there were many types of 'friends' and she had presumed that the fact she also looked up to Janeway as a kind of mentor made the older woman special.

 

It had taken her a long time to understand the human obsession with connecting to others. Making these connections had seemed irrelevant and irrational. Then with time and encouragement she had began to explore the notion. With every velocity match, late night discussion or holodeck activity it had finally started to make sense. With every disaster and near miss she had discovered that human connection didn't create weakness but the strength to fight for each other and not just for ones self. Seven had found that the connection she had made with Captain Janeway had made her feel content, happy even. The downside was that when they argued or the older woman was distant then it hurt Seven.

 

The Captain's ability to make the ex-borg feel a range or emotions had led Seven to readdress her original notion about the nature of their relationship. The result had been startling. She had what humans would term 'romantic' feelings towards the older woman. That was the only thing that could explain Seven's increased rate of breathing and elevated heartbeat when the other woman was present. It was the only thing that explained how she always found herself physically admiring Janeway, to the extent where she immediately noticed little variations such as periorbital swellings.

 

Recognising her own feelings was one thing, recognising how the Captain may or may not feel was an entirely different challenge. She often read signals from the older woman which suggested attraction but then Janeway would force some sort of distance between them and Seven would doubt her assessment.

 

Seven was distracted from her thoughts by movement on the bunk behind her. She glanced backwards again to find that Janeway was awake and was sat up, stretching her arms out to the side to uncoil muscles tight from sleep.

 

“Sorry” the Captain mumbled, her voice still dazed and groggy.

 

“There is no need to apologise” the blonde assured the other woman.

 

Janeway smiled in response and climbed to her feet, leaving the PADD on her bunk and making her way to the seat next to Seven. They had swapped places now, with Seven sat at the helm and Janeway at the other controls.

 

The Captain scanned the readouts with her eyes before swivelling in the chair towards Seven. The ex borg could feel the older woman's eyes on her, watching her work. The blonde could feel heat rising to her cheeks under the intense gaze.

 

“What were you reading?” she asked, falling back on a very human urge to fill the silence between them. The Captain had been enjoying it and Seven was curious to learn a little bit more about the older woman's tastes.

 

“A twentieth century novel called The Remains of the Day” Janeway replied, “It's one of my favourites.”

 

Seven had ingested a substantial amount of earth literature since being severed from the collective, some of which had been informative and interesting and some of which had been awful in her opinion. She had read some twentieth century fiction but not the book of which Janeway spoke.

 

“I'm not familiar with the story” Seven admitted.

 

Janeway shuffled to the edge of the seat, bringing her closer to the blonde's side. Seven had managed to continue to face forward during the initial part of the conversation but now the Captain was so close she couldn't help but turn in the seat to face her.

 

“Its about a Butler who has dedicated his entire life to service. In his later years looks back across his life and the chance of love that he let pass with the ex housekeeper.”

 

Seven listened to Janeway's explanation with rapt attention. There was an obvious reason why the Captain may relate to such a story. The older woman had dedicated her life to Starfleet, her 'life in service'. Even out in the Delta Quadrant she seemed to stick as firmly to their rules and regulations as possible, always putting every member of her crew before herself. Seven wondered if Janeway had also missed out on a chance of love that she regretted. The idea made the blonde ache deep in her chest, a feeling she had come to recognise as jealousy.

 

“I suppose it's about him trying to understand if his life has had any meaning” the Captain continued to explain.

 

“That does not seem very enjoyable” Seven commented.

 

The idea that Kathryn Janeway could relate to such a novel made the younger woman feel a sense of sadness. She understood that the brunette unreasonably blamed herself for Voyager's predicament. Seven wondered if Janeway would be more assured that her life had meaning if she managed to return Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant.

 

“Erm...It's probably better if you read it yourself” the Captain explained.

 

Seven was intrigued by the books appeal to the other woman and made a mental note to do just that.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Janeway was starting to get bored scanning the nebula on her own. It was tedious work considering the scanners only worked effectively in a tiny radius. There was a consistent base reading of dilithium but the reading had yet to spike so all they were currently picking up were trace deposits. The brunette had been willing the scanner to pick something up for at least an hour.

 

Seven of nine had gone to regenerate using the portable device that had been created for her. It was only capable of a short booster regeneration cycle before it used the Delta Flyer to recharge again for reuse. The blonde had only been in the alcove for three hours out of the four hour cycle. So Janeway had another hour of loneliness to sit through.

 

It was also a little disconcerting to have Seven stood silent and rigidly still just a metre or so behind her. She had seen the ex borg regenerate before...hell she had even stood and watched Seven in her alcove on more occasions than she occurred to admit. On those occasions she had been assuring herself that Seven really was okay after difficult experiences. Janeway hadn't been trying to focus on work.

 

It was only when the younger woman regenerated that the Captain had the opportunity to really look at her. If she stared at her any other time then she was bound to be caught by others or even Seven herself. The blonde seemed to have a sixth sense and always seemed to perceive when someone was staring at her. Janeway had to force herself not to turn and stare at the ex-borg as unlike Seven she couldn't focus too many things at once.

 

The sensor suddenly emitted a louder beeping sound yet there was no spike in dilithium readings. Janeway tried to make sense of the data but she only had a couple of seconds before the ship suddenly rocked violently like it had been hit. Then all the controls and the internal lights went black as the Delta Flyer came to a sudden halt.

 

Janeway scrambled at the emergency controls, desperately trying to get basic systems back on line so she could understand what the hell just happened. The emergency lighting flew on just as Seven stumbled forward, her regeneration cycle broken by the cut to the ships power.

 

“What happened?” the ex borg asked as she stumbled into the seat next to the Captain.

 

Janeway noticed the inelegant landing instantly as it was out of character. Seven was grasping her cortical implant with her left hand like one would if they had a bad headache.

 

“Are you okay?” she asked, unable to hide her concern for the younger woman.

 

“The system overloaded before shutting down” Seven explained; “It feels unpleasant but I am fine.”

 

Janeway nodded, hoping that the ex borg wasn't downplaying the issue. Sadly the Captain had no time to press further when they had a larger crisis at hand. With the shields down they could get torn apart if they drifted into a large debris field.

 

“I can't get systems back online” the older woman informed the blonde, despite the fact the blank consoles spoke for themselves.

 

Seven spun around in the chair away from Janeway and dropped onto her knees by one of the consoles. The younger woman pulled the panel clean off and tossed it to the side. Janeway grabbed a flash light and repair kit and handed it to the blonde. Janeway retreated back to the chair by the helm to await Seven's progress.

 

“If I redirect the power from the emergency lights I can access the data the scanners collected just before the impact” the ex borg said as her fingers thundered over the emergency power controls.

 

The emergency lights went off again as Seven spoke, plunging them into darkness apart from the faint glow from the screen by the scanners. The blonde was on her feet immediately and leant forward over the scanner, her hands and her face the only thing in the Delta Flyer to be illuminated as she poured over the data.

 

“It was some sort of locally directed EM pulse” Seven interpreted.

 

Janeway leant across the console to take a look at the readings, bringing her temple into contact with the younger woman's bio-suit covered shoulder. It didn't make much sense as EM pulses were usually broad spectrum, spreading across space. They didn't usually have a direct focus.

 

The Captain could barely see the readings due to the lack of light. She looked up to rest her eyes and noticed something strange through the viewer screen. They didn't appear to be drifting but moving slowly in a slow, consistent pattern.

 

“Seven...I think we are moving” Janeway exclaimed as she tapped the other woman's shoulder to ensure she got her instant and full attention. The blonde straightened up and looked out the viewer too.

 

“A tractor beam” Seven surmised before ducking back down to type at the scanner console again. “The energy reading the scanners picked up was a tractor beam which directed an EM pulse within it to shut down the Delta Flyer's systems.”

 

Janeway racked her brain for some sort of solution. They were in a nebula, Voyager would not be able to see them on the scanner and without power they had no ability to release a distress beacon. The Delta Flier's systems were all down except a miniscule amount of emergency power, they were caught in the beam of an unknown ship with no clue who was responsible or why. One thing was for sure...it had to be a good sized vessel to power a tractor beam like the one they were caught in. Even if they could get power back to the helm they were unlikely to be able to outrun or outfight it.

 

“If you get the systems online could we break the lock of the beam and try to hide behind one of the denser debris fields?” Janeway enquired.

 

Due to the confusing nature of the readings in the nebula they may be able to hide from the ships scanners if they could get in the debris magnetic field with the shields fully up.

 

“I'm not even sure I can get the systems online” Seven admitted, “We would require a huge source of energy to reboot.”

 

“A controlled explosion?” the Captain asked.

 

Janeway didn't like the sound of that. The Delta Flyer had warp capabilities so there was a warp engine they could manually eject and explode. It would be very risky inside a nebula with no shields. The explosion could be amplified or there could be unexpected feedback. Plus, although they would be able to try and hide with impulse engines they really would make it impossible to run.

 

Seven had been typing again but suddenly stood bolt upright. Her face showed a look of deep concern and consideration. The Captain knew something was wrong.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

Before Seven of Nine could answer the ship rocked violently again. Janeway felt a wave of nausea before everything flashed white and then black.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Seven of Nine could feel her head pounding around the area of her cortical implant. It was the same feeling she had been exposed to when pulled from her regeneration cycle only intensified suggesting they had been hit by a second EM pulse, this time without the protection of the Delta Flyer's shields.

 

The blonde opened her eyes, relieved that their surroundings were only dimly lit. She was lying on a bunk but it wasn't that of Voyager's Delta Flyer. She sat up slowly, mindful of the pounding in her head and the fact she would probably be quite dizzy at first. There was a second bunk just a short distance away where Captain Janeway lay. The older woman was unconscious but Seven could hear a slow regular breathing pattern and she looked unharmed.

 

They were in some sort of long thin holding cell. The bunks were at one end of the room with a electronic sliding door at the other. There was no other furniture in the cell and the dim blue lighting was coming from a single strip light on the ceiling which ran the entire length of the room. Seven surmised that it wasn't a very sophisticated brig which seemed surprising considering the tractor beam system had seemed quite advanced. She concluded that their captors rarely took prisoners.

 

The cell gave little clue as to who those captors where. Seven tried to process the information she had collected as part of the borg collective in case any of those assimilated had been in the same situation. Nothing clear was conclusive was coming to memory and it just made the throbbing in her head increase again when she tried to stream so much data. The tractor beam could be a modified version of the borg's own system but the ship certainly wasn't borg. A borg cube would never fit in a nebula and they certainly didn't require holding cells with beds. Not when assimilation was the only aim.

 

The throbbing had subsided slightly since first waking so she gingerly swung her legs over the side of the bunk and stood up. The world spun slightly but she closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. When she opened them again the room was still and she felt less likely to fall down. The blonde carefully stepped over to the Captain and sat at the edge of the bunk so she could try and gently rouse the other woman.

 

“Captain” Seven addressed the other woman, placing her human hand on the older woman's shoulder.

 

There was no immediate alteration to Janeway's responses. The woman's eyes remained shut, her breathing slow and even and there was no movement. The ex borg knew the body stayed unconscious in an attempt to repair itself but under the circumstances she needed her Captain awake.

 

“CAPTAIN” she said considerably louder. This time she gently shook the brunette's shoulder.

 

This time her attempts did elicit a response. The older woman stirred and then groaned, reaching up to place one hand over her forehead. The other, Janeway placed on top of Seven of Nine's own hand which still rested on the Captain's shoulder. The ex-borg was slightly startled by the contact and the warm, soft feel of Janeway's hand over her own. She didn't physically react though, allowing her hand to stay sandwiched between the Captain's shoulder and hand. The Doctor and Janeway had both previously explained to her that human's seek physical contact for comfort. Examples she had been given were hand holding and hugging.

 

“Oh god” Janeway complained; “I may not have a cortical implant but my brain certainly feels like it has overloaded.”

 

“I suspect that is exactly what happened, the EM pulse caused a large spike in the electrical impulses in our brains, knocking us both unconscious;” Seven explained. “A slightly larger electromagnetic field could have caused violent seizures or death.”

 

Janeway cocked her right eye open and gazed up at Seven, a silly lopsided grin on her face. The blonde found the look to be oddly pleasing when directed at her.

 

“What a cheerful thought” the older woman said in a tone the ex-borg recognised as sarcasm.

 

Janeway tried to sit up, nearly toppling back down. Seven wrapped her arm around the older woman's back, preventing the fall and helping her remain upright until she seemed stable again. It took a few seconds for the Captain to hold herself upright, nodding to the ex-borg that she was now okay. Seven removed her arm and placed her hands in her own lap.

 

“And what a cheerful place” Janeway remarked as she looked around their accommodation. “I'll suggest a lick of paint and a splash of colour to our captors.”

 

Seven could again detect the sarcasm in the older woman's voice. She had often observed that Janeway became more snappish and resorted to dry humour or sarcasm when the situation was stressful. The blonde decided to resort to a little dry humour of her own.

 

“Holding cell's are not meant to be pleasant Captain” Seven said in a flat tone; quirking her brow at the the other woman.

 

“I know I...” the older woman began to explain before stopping and observing the ex-borg closely. “Oh...you're winding me up. Very good.”

 

The Captain smiled and shook her head. Seven enjoyed drawing a smile from the brunette and smirked at her own success. Janeway shuffled down the bunk and swung her legs off the bed so she was sat next to the blonde; close but not quite touching her. The older woman reached up and used her thumbs to massage her temples, obviously still troubled by a headache. Seven's own ache had subsided to a mere feeling of mild discomfort. Hopefully the Captain's would soon improve too.

 

“Any idea how long we have been out for?” Janeway asked.

 

Seven was yet to consider this but a simple diagnostic of her own functions would allow her to estimate how many hours had passed. After a few quick mental calculations she responded.

 

“My energy levels suggest approximately five hours” she extrapolated.

 

There was a small chance that the focused EM pulses had lowered or increased those energy levels but she didn't think the Captain would appreciate multiple answers and the percentile chance that they were correct. For a considerable amount of time after being severed from the collective the blonde would have listed every possibility until stopped. She had come to understand that humans just wanted the most likely scenario especially when under duress.

 

Janeway was silent for 42.4 seconds before turning her attention back to the ex-borg. The brunette turned to look at Seven so she turned her head and looked back at the Captain. She was met by intense blue grey eyes. Suddenly the gap between them felt virtually non existent and Seven had to look forward again to create some distance and mask her deep intake of breath.

 

“Voyager will be expecting us to check in soon then” Janeway stated; nudging the blonde's shoulder with her own as she spoke. “When we are late they will know something is wrong.”

 

Seven recognised the contact as an attempt to give her comfort. Even if the action itself provided the ex-borg with no positive emotion she did appreciate the sentiment behind it.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Janeway had remained seated, hoping her headache would eventually subside. After around fifteen minutes it was beginning to ease. Seven of Nine had stood up after a few minutes and was pacing around the cell, visually examining the walls and door for any clues. Or at least the Captain presumed that was what the younger woman was doing.

 

Janeway's mind briefly drifted back to her book. She had read it so many times that she could quote parts of it if not verbatim then close enough. Right now the quote that was ringing around her head was probably an inappropriate one as she was observing her crew member.

 

_'What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint.'_

 

Seven was an attractive woman full stop. Physically she was virtually a perfect example of a human woman except for an implant or two. Those implants did not take away from her beauty but somehow added to it. They were very much part of Seven. Like the implants, Seven's cool restraint would be unattractive to some. To Janeway though it only seemed to add to the ex-borgs appeal. It made the moments when those walls came down all the more meaningful and special.

 

The ex-borg's pacing ceased suddenly and the blonde stood alert and even more upright than usual. Janeway stood up and stepped towards the other woman, relieved that the throbbing had improved enough for her to stand without her head spinning.

 

“Someone is coming” Seven stated.

 

Janeway's hearing wasn't as acute as the ex-borgs so she couldn't hear the approach until the electronic doors began to slide open. They revealed three figures, their anatomy appeared humanoid although they were broader than the average human, with loose skin around their necks, bald heads and a strange blue hue to their skin.

 

Two of the men were armed and they remained as security in the doorway. The third man stepped into the cell and towards them. As he got closer she could see him more clearly under the faint blue lighting. His ears were too big for his face and his eyes were an eerie grey colour.

 

“Ladies” the alien greeted.

 

His manner was oddly pleasant considering they were clearly his prisoners and not his guests. Either that or these aliens had atrocious manners and even more atrocious guest quarters.

 

“You are a Tintorian Pirate” Seven stated. Janeway had never heard of them but considering her astrometrics officers tone carried an obvious sense of disgust it wasn't looking promising.

 

The alien didn't seem too perturbed by the blonde's sneer though and instead looked her up and down before emitting a deep chuckle.

 

My name is K'Trenta and I prefer the term trader” he introduced himself.

 

The fact he was a 'trader' explained his odd attire. His clothing was mismatched but clearly all made of the finest materials. He wore a thick leather waistcoat over a black shirt made of something akin to silk. His belt buckle looked like it was made of gold and his leather boots had laces with flecks of what looked like precious stones in them.

 

“I am Captain Janeway of the Starfleet Vessel Voyager” the brunette introduced herself. “Why did you disable my shuttle craft and take us captive?”

 

The Captain had always found it was best to come straight to the point in these situations. She was all for sweet talking alien diplomats but had little time for pleasantries with anyone who had used violence against them.

 

“I do not know you Starfleet” K'Trenta said after some thought.

 

Janeway wasn't keen to explain where they had come from and how they had got to the delta quadrant. Instead she remained silent and tight lipped. Seven of Nine seemed as equally keen not to give anything away and simply stood glaring at their captor. Her irritation probably not helped by his marked interest her; grey eyes observing her almost consistently despite the fact he was conversing with the Captain.

 

“As for your question...you were scavenging in my nebula” the alien stated.

 

“Your nebula?” Janeway enquired.

 

“Bidded and paid for” responded the Pirate Captain coolly.

 

This threw the Captain momentarily. It wasn't common place for someone to lay claim to a nebula but then it wasn't an average nebula. Many were basically just dust clouds but as this one enclosed a large degree of debris she could see it would hold value to scavengers. Seven's report had not only outlined the presence of dilithium but also an array of other ores and minerals.

 

K'Trenta still didn't seem all that interested in the conversation and continued to eye Seven of Nine curiously. The blonde was a very attractive woman, a beautiful woman, but her looks shouldn't draw quite that much interest. Janeway didn't have to wait long to discover the reason behind the alien's curiosity.

 

“You are ex-borg” K'Trenta stated. “I have not heard of a drone being severed from the collective before.”

 

Seven nodded in response but said nothing. The Captain hadn't liked the way he was looking at Seven before and his question did nothing to ease her concerns. Pirate's collected valuable or unique things and the ex-borg was certainly unique. Janeway wondered if this man was capable of trading human lives as well as objects.

 

“We didn't realise the nebula was somebody's property” Janeway cut in, determined to redirect the conversation. “We are looking for dilithium ore and are more than willing to trade for it and be on our way.”

 

The alien looked at her dismissively and for a moment Janeway was sure that he would ignore her and continue to ask about her astrometric's officer. Finally, he snapped his gaze away from the blonde and back to the Captain. There was an unpleasant and fake smile plastered across his face as he addressed her.

 

“I see” K'Trenta finally responded; “and what exactly can you offer in trade?”

 

Janeway had the distinct feeling that they were just going through the motions and that this man had little intention in trading with her. Unfortunately, she had to move forward with the conversation in a manner that suggested she thought his intentions genuine.

 

“We have technology, minerals...gold” she elaborated. “I'd be happy to sit down and discuss a deal with you.”

 

K'Trenta's fake smile morphed into one of mild amusement, like he found her offer entertaining. The Captain mentally vowed that if given the opportunity she would smack that smug smile off his face. It wasn't an appropriate thought for a Starfleet Captain but a satisfying one none the less.

 

“We'll see” the alien replied before turning on his heels and striding away.

 

He had marched out of the cell before she had time to respond, the door beginning to slide closed instantly. As soon as the doors had closed behind their captors Seven of Nine turned to the Captain and quirked her cortical implant

 

“I did not like him” the blonde stated dryly.

 

Janeway agreed wholeheartedly.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Anything from the Delta Flier?” Commander Chakotay asked the bridge crew.

 

“No sir” Tom Paris responded from the helm's position.

 

Chakotay began to pace across the bridge in front of the Captain's chair. Janeway was too responsible a commanding officer to miss a check in and regardless of that she accompained on the mission by Seven of Nine. The ex-borg basically had a built in clock and could never accidently miss a check in regardless of what she was also focusing on. Something was wrong.

 

“How late are they reporting in?” he double checked.

 

“Twenty four minutes and thirty two seconds” came the very precise response from Luitenant Commander Tuvoc.

 

The fact they had reached twenty five minutes without contact was enough to pitch him in to action. He had been careful not to overreact at first in case the two women had run into difficulties launching the probe. Chakotay held little doubts that Seven of Nine would have sorted such an issue within the current time frame.

 

He wasn't the only one who was worried. He could tell the whole bridge crew was pensive and they kept glancing towards him for guidance. Harry Kim in particular was incapable of masking his worried expression and was furiously typing away at the control panel in front of him. He had transfered the data Seven had collected in astronomics to his own console a few minutes earlier and was scanning through it.

 

“Are the scanners reading anything unusual?” the Commander asked.

 

As soon as he spoke he knew the question was ridiculous. The short range scanners barely reached the nebula and even if they did have the long range sensors online it would be of no beneffit.

 

“They are incapable of penetrating the nebula” Tuvok stated.

 

Chakotay felt slightly stupid but pushed down the sensation to concentrate on the matter at hand. Stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager had to be careful with its meager supplies and resources. It's why he hadn't reacted immediately when Janeway and Seven of Nine missed their check in. However, it was now time to be proactive.

 

“Launch a probe into the nebula” he commanded.

 

Xxxxxxxxx

 

 

Chakotay had retreated to the ready room to begin his report about the situation whilst the probe was launched. In truth he just wanted to get out of prying eyes for a while. It wasn't the first time crew members had gone missing, it wasn't even the first time he had found himself acting Captain because Janeway was missing. This time he was seperated from answers and a rescue mission by a supanova nebula which was far too dense to pilot Voyager into.

 

The only craft they had that was capable of traversing and survivng in such an environment was already inside the nebula and out of contact. The Chief Astronomics officer, the one with the most knowledge of the anomally and the most likely person to come up with a solution to their problem was also inside the nebula. The Star Ship Voyager was currently without long range sensors meaning that whilst they sat still, waiting for a solution, they were virtually blind if anyone with even the most basic warp capabilities attacked. It was giving the Commander quite the headache.

 

“Bridge to Chakotay” Tom Paris' voice rang out across the com system.

 

The commander snapped into life, placing the PADD he was holding down and pressing his com badge. He hoped it was an update and not more bad news.

 

“Yes?” the first officer responded instantly.

 

“One minute until the probe reaches the nebula” the Luitenant informed Chakotay.

 

The commander stood up and paused for a moment. He straightened his uniform and took a steadying breath. _Once more unto the breach_ he thought to himself as he exited the ready room and made his way onto the bridge. If only Luitenant Paris hadn't gotten them too close tot he edge of that dust cloud.

 

Chakotay stood in the middle of the bridge and looked at the view screen. He could just about make out the probe against the vast background of the nebula. They were at the furthest reaches of the short range scanners so the quality of the picture was poor. Within seconds the probe blurred and vanished.

 

“We are in” Ensign Kim announced.

 

“On screen” Chakotay demanded.

 

The visual scanner the probe carried didn't have the clarity of a Star Ships vsual sensors but it still gave them a fairly good picture. The problem was that the debris field withing the edge of the nebula was so dense that dust particles limited vision and the asteroids and debris prevented them seeing more than a hundred metres at a time. They were unlikely to see anything on the screens. The Commander turned his attention to Luitenant Commander Tuvok.

 

“Anything?” he asked the Vulcan. Tuvok shook his head, clearly as frustrated as Chakotay felt.

 

“The probe is reading a lot of activity, I will need a little time to interpret the data” the Luitenant Commander expanded.

 

Chakotay turned his attention back to the viewing screen. Ensign Kim was doing an excellent job manually manouvering the probe around the debris via his control interface but it was slow work, currently yielding little results. He suspecte it would be the data that Tuvok collected that would eventually provide any answers.

 

Suddenly there was an increase in brightness, culminating in a white flash before the view screen went completely black. Then it reverted to the view of the outside of the nebula from the short range scanners.

 

“What was that?!” Chakotay exclaimed.

 

“The probe has been destroyed” Ensign Kim said in disbelief.

 

Chakotay had figured that much out for himself. He was more concerned with how it was destroyed and concerned that they couldn't possibly have collected enough data in that amount of time to understand what was happening or had happened to their Captain.

 

“Did it hit an asteroid?” the Commander asked.

 

Harry Kim was frantically typing at his console, trying to seak out the answer to his acting Captain's question. It was not the Ensign who provided the reply though.

 

“I do not believe so Commander” Tuvok stated from over Chakotay's shoulder.

 

_If it wasn't debris from the nebula then what the hell was it?_

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Seven of Nine had been attempting to access the controls to the door for over twenty minutes and was gradually becoming more and more frustrated by the electronic door mechanism. The irony was that the mechanism was far from complicated...in fact that was the issue.

 

With a minor adjustment or two the ex borg could walk through a force field and a more complicated lock could be picked using components from the com badges. This door needed something more traditional like an old earth screwdriver and simple probe. Neither item was readily available to them.

 

The Captain had been sat on her bunk watching Seven's lack of progress. The blonde suspected the older woman was trying to shake off her headache and it wasn't as if she could be of any assistance with the door. Kathryn Janeway was actually a very good engineer but without a suitable tool that knowledge and ability was as useless as Seven's own appeared to be.

 

“Seven come sit down” the Captain instructed.

 

The ex-borg very nearly protested. She found sitting to be pointless and in the situation unhelpful and a waste of time. The blonde resisted refusing because she was getting nowhere with the door and she understood that Janeway may need the company given the situation. The Captain was a very strong and very independent woman but Seven of Nine had learned that even the most hardy of humans preferred to have someone to talk too when in a difficult situation. Plus, the Captain had a softer heart than anyone the ex-borg had met despite her hard exterior. So the blonde dutifully made her way back to the rear of the room and sat next to Janeway on the edge of the bed.

 

“The door requires crude tools that we do not possess” the blonde reported once she had sat down.

 

Janeway had been watching her the entire time, she had felt the other woman's eyes on her, so was probably well aware of this fact. Seven felt the need to inform her regardless.

 

“I gathered” the Captain responded kindly.

 

The older woman tried to smile at Seven of Nine but ended up wincing instead. This concerned the ex-borg as it had now been quite some time since they had regained consciousness. Perhaps she should have left the Captain to come around on her own after all.

 

“You are still in pain” Seven said; it was more of a statement than a question.

 

“Yes” Janeway admitted. “How is your head now?”

 

The headache must be bad if the usually stubborn Captain so readily admitted to discomfort. The older woman needed beta blockers or a medical tricorder. Without medical supplies the blonde had no idea how to help.

 

“My nanoprobes have corrected the problem” Seven reported.

 

“Lucky you” the Captain grumbled, “I still feel like someone is tap dancing behind my eyes.”

 

Seven of Nine found the human use of dramatic language both fascinating and confusing. It was not possible for someone to tap dance behind another person's eyes and therefore impossible for the Captain to know how that felt. On the other hand, having suffered from the same throbbing pain when awakening the term was an effective description. The blonde appreciated the fact that her commanding officer still retained her sense of humour.

 

“There is some advantage to the borg desire for perfection” Seven tried to interject some humour of her own.

 

Now was as good a time as any to practice and Seven had always enjoyed the human process of 'bantering' when it was with Kathryn Janeway.

 

“If you are under the impression you have already perfected yourself, you will never rise to the heights you are no doubt capable of.”

 

The ex-borg looked blankly at the Captain as it wasn't the sort of reply she was expecting. It appeared to be a quote from the way the other woman had phrased it but Seven did not recognise it. The Captain saw her confusion and gently smiled. This time the brunette did not flinch in discomfort but remained focused on Seven of Nine.

 

“The book I was reading” Janeway explained; “The Remains of the Day.”

 

There was a softness in the brunette's tone that caught Seven off guard. The Captain had used it with her on rare occasions before and she had always found herself physically reacting to it in some way. Elevated adrenaline and heart rate...increased respiration rate....a tightness in her chest area. It had taken her a long time to understand her own reactions.

 

The blonde found herself gazing back at Janeway. The older woman's hair was mused from rubbing her temple to alleviate the pain. A few strands of brunette hair had fallen across her face, hanging alongside her nose and partially over her eye. Seven instinctively reached the unruly lock and tucked it back into place.

 

It was only when she completed the task did she realise the level of intimacy her action suggested. Her had froze in place, fingers gently brushing against the older woman's temple. Janeway looked at her in surprise but then a flicker of something else shot across her features. Seven could see minute signs of arousal; dilated pupils, shorter shallower breaths and a pinking of the Captains cheeks. The look only seemed to increase Kathryn Janeway's physical appeal.

 

There was a strange energy between them and the blonde wasn't sure how to proceed so she just remained frozen in place. If it were a book the ex-borg supposed she would close the distance and kiss Kathryn Janeway now. It was no novel though and the older woman was her Captain and friend.

 

The moment was destroyed by a distinct sliding sound.

 

The doors began to open and Seven sprung to her feet, not wishing to be caught in a compromising position with her Captain that the aliens could try to use to their advantage. K'Trenta strode into the room again and halted in front of the bunks. Janeway rose to her feet calmly and stood shoulder to shoulder with Seven.

 

“I have considered your offer of the trade and I find the principle to be satisfactory, however, I do not require your technology or gold.”

 

The Tintorian Pirate was straight to the point; something Seven of Nine would usually appreciate. On this occasion she was just unsettled. The man seemed to consistently keep his focus on her no matter what the subject of the conversation. His stare unnerved her and it wasn't a feeling she was used to experiencing.

 

“What are your terms then?” the Captain enquired wearily.

 

The blue tinted alien turned his attention totally towards her now, without any attempt of masking it and sneered. Once in the mess hall, Seven had once overheard a female ensign describe another crew member's leering look as 'treating her like a piece of meat'. She now understood exactly what that ensign had meant. Seven was sure she knew what was about to follow.

 

“The dilithium you require for your ex-borg” K'Trenta demanded.

 

Kathryn Janeway seemed to grow despite the fact it was physically impossible. Seven knew that the older woman had simply stood up straighter and raised her shoulders but the effect was still startling. The commanding officer was an imposing figure when her crew was threatened.

 

“No deal” the Captain practically growled at their captor.

 

“No dilithium then” the alien replied coolly, unperturbed by the icy look the diminutive woman was giving him.

 

This appeared to be the end of their conversation again and the man swept out of the room as quickly as he had entered. The doors slid shut and left the two women in a disbelieving silence.

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

The readings they had received before the probe was destroyed indicated it had been destroyed by a torpedo. There wasn't enough information to elaborate on the type and origin of the weapon. There was plenty of data relating to debris in the nebula but none of it indicated a ship had recently been destroyed. With so much disturbance that may not be an accurate reading of the situation. Chakotay had hope that the Delta Flier was still in one piece.

 

Needless to say they needed more information and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok had been quick to suggest a solution. They would refit and reprogramme a probe so that it contained a simplified version of a Kilingon cloaking shield. This was only party of the solution though. The probe could not actively scan the nebula or it would still be possible to locate it by the signals it would be outputting. Instead it would merely be a receiver for outside signals. If they picked up anything they could then turn on the sensor again, directing it straight at the source and take as many reading as possible before the probe was blown to smithereens.

 

Lieutenant Torres, head of engineering, had been excited by the prospect of fitting the probe with a rudimentary shielding device and had gotten to work immediately. Within the hour her team had made the necessary adjustments and the probe was ready to launch. As quickly as they had turned the probe around, Chakotay still had a sense of dread that they were losing valuable time in their attempts to rescue the Captain and Seven of Nine.

 

Now he was sat in the Captain's seat, waiting patiently for the probe to reach the nebula. Or at least he hoped that outwardly he looked as though he was waiting patiently. Inwardly he was feeling anything but patient. He could hear Tom Paris' fingers lightly drumming against the helm controls and knew he was not alone. Everyone was concerned and everyone was pumped with nervous energy. Except Tuvok of course who remained his usual stoic Vulcan self.

 

“10 seconds” Harry Kim stated.

 

Those seconds ticked away slowly as they all stared at the view screen.

 

“We are in...again” the Ensign informed the bridge.

 

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

“Anything?” Chakotay asked for what must be the eighth time.

 

He felt like he had been staring at endless debris and asteroids for hours but in truth it was only around twenty minutes. Without being able to scan Ensign Kim could only guide the probe an a systematic sweeping programme and hope they would get close enough to whatever had destroyed their probe to get a reading from it.

 

It appeared that this time the Vulcan was going to ignore his pestering but then there was a sudden beeping from Tuvok's console. The sound caused the whole bridge to spring to life in excitement.

 

“I'm reading a scanning pattern” the Lieutenant Commander said in a way that was practically enthusiastic for a Vulcan.

 

The only sound that could be heard for several longs seconds was the sounds of the bridge crew working at the various controls and the consistent low beep from the science station. Finally Tuvok spoke up again to clarify the readings they were receiving.

 

“There is a ship running a series of linear scans across the debris fields on multiple frequencies. They appear to be searching for a broad range of materials.”

 

“Scavengers” Tom Paris quickly concluded.

 

The Commander too felt this was the most likely option. The Delta Flier had inadvertently came across another race who were searching the nebula for valuable materials. He wasn't sure what this meant for the fate of the shuttle and its two crew members.

 

“Can you pinpoint the location of the vessel?” he asked.

 

“Not yet” Harry Kim supplied; “The reading is still being blocked by too much debris.”

 

Chakotay stood up and began to pace again. He was not enjoying having to wait for answers especially when the whole of Voyager could potentially be in danger. The long range scanners, when operational, had suggested that this area of space was deserted. They now knew that this was not the case and it made him uneasy.

 

“Now” Tuvoc finally commanded from the back of the bridge.

 

Harry Kim seemed to launch into life at his station and tapped furiously at the controls. Suddenly the view screen, which had previously held the image from the ship sensors of the nebula, adjusted to the sensors from the probe and amongst the dust and debris an alien ship could clearly be seen.

 

“Scanners are operational” the young Ensign chirped.

 

The starship was not dissimilar in looks to a Marquis Raider vessel. It looked compact and manoeuvrable, something that would be advantageous when flying through a debris field and had what looked to be torpedo arrays at the end of its small wing like structures. The probe was clearly scanning for the dimensions and other features of the ship as various grid lines and readings flashed across the viewer, transferring to various stations around the bridge.

 

“Receiving data” Tuvok confirmed.

 

They continued to collect data for a number of seconds before a photon torpedo could clearly be seen fired from the alien vessel and the viewer flashed white again. Another probe had bitten the dust but at least this time they should have some productive results from it...hopefully.

 

“Well?” Chakotay lightly snapped at his bridge crew.

“The systems are searching the data inputted about the Delta Quadrant” Tuvok assured his Commanding officer.

 

Most of this information had been collected from the friendlier alien races they had met along the way or uploaded by Seven of Nine from information acquired by the Borg. Their data banks were vast due to the number of species they had assimilated but there were even alien races that the borg hadn't come across. The acting Captain hoped that this wasn't one of those few.

 

“We have a partial match but it appears to be heavily modified” the Lieutenant Commander informed Chakotay. “The vessel belongs to a race known as the Tintorians...they are a pirate race.”

 

This gave the Commander hope that the shuttle had not been destroyed like the original probe had been but instead captured. The Delta Flier was kitted out with quite advanced technology and would undoubtedly have caught the pirate's attention. It wasn't exactly good news but on the other hand it meant that if they could find a way to contact the Tintorian's then they could negotiate an exchange of goods for the Flier and their Captain. He expected that the asking price would be steep.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Seven of Nine had simply returned her focus to the door after the Pirate had left and hadn't uttered a word about the situation. Janeway on the other hand was unable to focus on anything else but the alien's terms. She was livid at the suggestion that the ex-borg was some sort of object that could be traded like wares. She'd have been angry at the idea of any crew member being traded but this was not just a case of human trafficking. This was a young woman being treated like technology because of a few implants.

 

It annoyed her when members of her own crew treated Seven differently because she had been part of the borg collective. It was a situation that was totally out of the younger woman's control. Young Annika Hansen did not choose to be borg, she had been a victim. It pained her to see her still be the victim of that assimilation even two and a half years after being severed from the collective. It had been such a hard journey for Seven of Nine to learn how to be human again, a journey the blonde was still on. She had developed a wry sense of humour, hobbies and conversation skills. Seven wasn't just the sum of her implants.

 

Janeway knew her extreme ire didn't just stem from a sense of injustice for the ex-borg. She had been aware for a long time that Seven emotionally touched her in a way that others did not. Any time their bond had been threatened by the borg queen or other incidents the Captain had felt it like a stab to her chest. Janeway had spent a long time fighting it and then just trying to hide it from others and the blonde herself. She wasn't about to lose her now.

 

The younger woman seemed to be motionless by the door still so Janeway turned her attention to her. The blonde was stood tall, her hands clasped behind her back, like she was concentrating. The Captain suspected the Tintorian's demand was playing on the ex-borgs mind more than she was willing to show.

 

“Seven, just staring at the door will do little to open it” the Captain chided.

 

She hadn't meant her tone to be so negative but she was finding it hard to mask her feelings. Seven turned around and quietly observed her. Janeway remained seated and met the blondes expression. Seven sighed before making her way across the room to stand directly in front of the Captain. Had it been anyone else Janeway would have been uncomfortable with one of her crew members standing over her.

 

“You are angry” Seven stated.

 

“Of course I'm angry” the older woman huffed.

 

Janeway knew that she was letting her own feelings effect her behaviour. She shouldn't be sitting around sulking, she was the Captain for heavens sake. She should be encouraging the younger woman and driving their attempts to escape. Instead the logical ex-borg was obviously doing far better at pushing down her own feelings.

 

“Perhaps...” Seven began awkwardly before pausing; “...perhaps you should consider K'Trenta's offer.”

 

That was a little too logical for Janeway's liking and she wasn't in the mood to hear it. She had been forced to leave the younger woman behind once before and it had driven her to distraction until she had given in and launched a desperate rescue attempt. Her First Officer had thought her mad for putting everyone on the line for one ex-borg. He didn't understand that she had been going slowly mad without Seven.

 

“Not going to happen” she firmly objected.

 

The younger woman tilted her head and observed Janeway again. Her brow knitted slightly in confusion but the expression went as quickly as it came. Janeway wondered what was going through Seven's mind. If the blonde was aware that she was special to Janeway in some way even if she couldn't completely pin point why. The Captain's mind flickered back to when Seven's cortical implant had been failing and it appeared that she may die. Janeway had gone to talk to her in Astronomics and Seven had suggested that her death would affect the Captain more than others but had all the wrong reasons. Janeway had told her then that she would be affected because Seven was her friend. Even then it was a white lie; she had known the ex-borg meant more even then.

 

“If leaving me behind means that you can return to Voyager and continue on your way home then for the good of the crew you should accept” the blonde reasoned.

 

Janeway was tempted to give a long winded and logical explanation about how Voyager could go on its way without both of them if you were to work on the principle that no one person was bigger than the safety of the crew as a whole. Instead she only had the energy for a simple answer.

 

“You are part of the crew Seven” Janeway stressed, looking pointedly up at the blonde who still stood over her.

 

“Captain...” the blonde began to protest but Janeway cut her off.

 

“Please don't ask me to leave you behind...” she pleaded.

 

They were not the words of the Star Fleet Captain but those of Kathryn Janeway; a woman who was starting to realise that she was actually very much in love. From the stunned look on Seven of Nine's face her words had clearly indicated that message to her too.

 

The ex-borg was apparently so caught off guard that she actually sat down of her own volition next to Janeway on the bed. The older woman's words may have surprised her but they clearly did not scare her as Seven had moved closer and not stepped further away. They were now sat shoulder to shoulder with the length of Seven's thigh pressed against Janeway's own.

 

Janeway hoped that the proximity was a silent acknowledgement that her feelings were returned in some way. There had been moments over the past year where she had caught a glimpse of something in the blondes expression or heard something subtle in her tone that had hinted at Seven having romantic feelings towards her. Janeway had tried to pretend it was her own imagination seeing what she wanted to see. Perhaps her mind wasn't playing tricks after all. If that was true was she capable of adhering rigidly to regulations and ignoring her feelings still?

 

“How long before you have to regenerate?” she redirected her thoughts and the conversation on to safer ground.

 

They were still sat so close too each other for it to be deemed appropriate but Janeway found it comforting and was in no rush to move away. Even though Seven's bio-suit was meant to regulate her body temperature Janeway could still feel her body heat where their limbs were in contact. She closed her eyes, drinking it all in whilst she listened to the blondes response.

 

“The EM field caused my nano-probes to become more active than usual but it has had minimal effect on my bio-matrix” Seven assured her.

 

It wasn't much of an answer. Janeway needed numbers and the fact Seven appeared to be reluctant to directly answer the question worried the Captain. She opened her eyes and turned her head towards the younger woman. Seven mirrored her, gazing back at Janeway with an openness that the Captain had rarely seen in the ex-borg. She gulped when she realised quite how close their faces where.

 

“Approximately twenty three hours” Seven concluded.

 

“That isn't a huge amount of time to find a solution to our problem” the Captain grimaced. Looking down towards her knees so the younger woman couldn't see the worry in her eyes.

 

No wonder Seven was so focused on the door. That didn't leave much time for diplomacy, nor escape for that matter. Perhaps they could jump the Tintorians the next time K'Trenta swept in. Seven had borg enhanced strength and she could throw a fair punch when the situation required it. Of course they could get themselves shot if it went wrong.

 

“I was not just staring at the door” Seven suddenly spoke up again. It was like she knew exactly what Janeway had been thinking about.

 

“No?” Janeway asked, curious as to what solution the ex-borg had devised. She hoped it was better than her idea of getting into a fist fight.

 

“I have a method of opening the door but I can only extrapolate on its effect to my circuitry” Seven responded in a matter of fact tone.

 

Janeway didn't like the sound of this plan very much either.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

It had taken Seven of Nine a few minutes to convince the Captain to go along with her plan. She was aware of the potential risks and how they would not sit well with the other woman. She had realised just moments before suggesting the plan that the older woman would be even more vehemently against it than first expected.

 

The Captain had asked...no begged Seven not to ask her to leave Seven behind. If her words hadn't been clear enough then the older woman's tone and expression made her emotions completely unmasked. Janeway had always been hard to read when it came to personal feelings. Seven had tried again and again but had concluded very little. Now she had her answers the ex-borg was finding it hard to focus on anything but the smaller woman and how her chest had ached almost painfully at her words. Focus she must though as her plan had just cut down the amount of time she had before needing to regenerate dramatically.

 

Seven wriggled the implant casing in the mechanism casing; pleased when the mechanism turned and she could pull the casing away from the circuitry. It would have been disappointing if her calculations had been incorrect and it had not fitted into the lock. She'd have wasted approximately six hours for no reason.

 

The casing had come from the implant on her shoulder and although exposing and disrupting the circuitry there wasn't immediately life threatening her nano-probes would have to work harder to compensate for the the sudden lowering of regulation to some of her systems. The Captain had been required to help with the procedure and had removed the part with such care and respect.

 

“Are you okay?” Janeway worried from directly behind her.

 

“I am functioning adequately” Seven responded as she began to adjust the circuitry to reverse its instruction to the door.

 

“That is not what I asked” the Captain sighed.

 

Seven smiled to herself and continued to manipulate the wires and controls in front of her. If anyone else was breathing down her neck whilst she worked it would annoy her but she way enjoying having Janeway's attention focused solely on her. The older woman had pulled away from her in recent months so she hadn't had this much attention for a while.

 

The door finally started to slide open and Seven leapt through the gap, ready to surprise any guard who may be watching the door. Apparently they hadn't expected the escape as the corridor outside was empty.

 

“Well done” Janeway praised softly.

 

Seven looked back at the brunette and froze. The Captain was looking at her with such fondness that the blonde felt the urge to step forward and hold the older woman close to her. She suspected that it was not appropriate behaviour at this present time so stepped back and surveyed their surroundings. Escape first. Figure out how she was now meant to react around her later.

 

The corridor consisted of yet more plain grey panels with faint blue lighting. Seven surmised that either their 'hosts' must be most comfortable in this environment or it was some sort of power saving efficiency mode whilst surveying hazardous space like a nebula.

 

“We should put the casing back on” Captain Janeway suggested.

 

“We do not have the time” Seven countered; “It will also make little difference now the implant has been exposed.”

 

The ex-borg would require her implant to be reconfigured first by the Doctor, then the casing replaced, followed by a lengthy regeneration period. Replacing the casing alone would do nothing.

 

“Then we need to find the Delta Flyer” Janeway conceded.

 

They began to carefully make their way down the corridor, the Captain leading the way. Seven of Nine could feel her nano-probes and cortical implant compensating already. That suggested she may have shaved more than six hours of the time she had before requiring to regenerate. That made escape important as was evading being recaptured.

 

“It would be advisable to try to disable their EM and tractor beam” Seven suggested.

 

They reached the end of that corridor and found that they had a choice of turning right or left. Janeway came to a halt, so Seven stopped behind her, listening out for movement. The ex-borg had more acute hearing than the average human and she could detect no signs of movement.

 

“The Delta Flyer is a smaller vessel” Janeway argued once it was clear they were alone. “We should be able to out fly them in the nebula.”

 

Seven thought about protesting, not because the Captain was wrong, but because the blonde was worried she was rushing the plan out of concern for Seven's health.

 

Janeway poked her head out and looked left then right. She motioned to the right with her head and Seven stepped forward and looked down the corridor. On the wall just a few metres away there was what appeared to be a control panel. The ex-borg stepped into the corridor first and made her way to the panel.

 

“Can you access it?” Janeway asked as she glanced over her shoulder again.

 

The blonde tapped away at the controls, using her borg encryption codes to bypass the system. They couldn't stay at the panel long as it would be obvious who was accessing it. The ship only had one shuttle bay and luckily it was only a deck and a few corridors away.

 

“This way” Seven stated.

 

The ex-borg turned back down the corridor and towards the left with Janeway hot on her heels. The next two corridors were clear but when they reached the metal stairs that led up to the next deck Seven slammed to a halt, nearly tripping the Captain up with her sudden lack of impulsion. She could hear footsteps moving in their direction from the corridor above them. It was multiple individuals.

 

“Guards?” the brunette guessed.

 

Seven nodded in response and began to look around for somewhere to hide. She spotted a bulkhead under the stairs that would be an ideal place to hide. It would be tight but they would be concealed.

 

Janeway had turned to escape back down the corridor in the direction they had came. The blonde reached out and grasped the other woman's wrist, drawing the smaller woman back towards her. Janeway looked at her with a mixture of surprise and something else that the ex-borg couldn't quite place.

 

Without words Seven guided her Captain towards the bulkhead and pressed her into the space first, covering the smaller woman with her own body. It was unsurprisingly very cramped and the whole of Seven's front was pressed against Janeway's back. Despite the perilous situation the feeling was extremely pleasant.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The results of the scan from the probe had been positive once reviewed. Tuvok had been able to pick up the signature of the Delta Flyer in the Tintorian vessel as well as two human (one half borg) life forms. Commander Chakotay had decided that the only way to go forward was to bring all the senior staff together in the briefing room and throw ideas around. Within minutes of the meeting starting he was regretting his decision. They didn't seem to be getting anywhere other than irritated with one another.

 

The current debate surrounded the possibility of just flying Voyager into the nebula and rescuing their Captain. Chakotay was sure this was impossible but he sat and let the conversation play out.

 

“We've flew through a nebula before” Tom Paris tried to argue.

 

The pilot was the big espouser for entering the nebula which was no surprise considering her was the most reckless of the senior staff. Although sometimes the Commander felt Janeway vied for that role. It scared him but he also knew it was how she dug them out of many a dangerous situation. They could do with her imput right now if only it wasn't the Captain herself they had to rescue.

 

“Yes but only Seven of Nine and myself were able to make that journey, the rest of you where in stasis” the Doctor replied in his usual curt tone. “In case you haven't noticed Seven isn't currently avaiable.”

 

Chakotay had been considering the possibility of setting up a holodeck version of the crew and having the live data streamed to the holodeck so that crew could devise solutions and actions and the Doctor could imput them into the real bridge. He had decided it was too dangerous and probably still implausable. The next answer confirmed his conclusion.

 

“That's beside the point” B'Elana glared at her partner; “Voyager is too large to negotiate the asteroid field.”

 

Tom Paris huffed and sat back in his chair. He was a great pilot, everyone knew that, but no amount of talent could make a Star Ship shrink to fit the limited space of the debris field. Harry Kim had supported his friends idea but seemed to accept it was impossible with better grace.

 

“How long would it take to refit another shuttle?” Neelix piped up.

 

The Commander had also considered this option but unlike their resident chef he had some vague engineering knowledge. Enough to write of the idea as impossible.

 

“Weeks of work and a lot of raw materials that we do not possess” B'Elana explained to the Delta Quadrant native.

 

There was a resignation in the Chief Engineers voice that made it clear she didn't think the answer would come from her department. In fact, none of the senior staff seemed that have any answers for him.

 

“I'm not hearing any solutions” Chakotay commented. He hoped his words would push those attending to tackle the problem in a more positive manner and not the endless negativity they were slipping into.

 

“We could launch another probe and use it to hail the Tintorian's” Tuvok finally spoke up.

 

The Luitenant Commander had been a silent participant of the meeting, as he often was, taking in everyone elses ideas first before commenting. He was often the Captains go to man for a logical solution but in this instance Chakotay was a little lost as to how he though diplomacy would work. After all, if the Tintorian's wanted to trade for their crew members they would have contacted Voyager and not destroyed their previous probes.

 

“And politely ask for them to return our crew members and property?” the Commander pressed.

 

“They cannot stay in the nebula indefinately Commander and their ship, although modified, is no match for Voyager” Tuvok respectfully explained.

 

The Vulcan was right, Seven had identified this area as the only safe entrance to the nebula. Even with only short range sensors online the pirate ship couldn't slip by them. That was pressuming the ex-borgs calculations were correct. He was never happy when being forced to resort to violence but if needs must.

 

“Threaten them” B'Elana chirped up; “that works for me.”

 

It was the most positive Chakotay had heard the engineer since their long sensors first went down. He'd felt sorry for Tom Paris. It had been an honest mistake but when you are dating the chief engineer then taking down one of the ships major systems in error was bound to impact on your relationship. Especially when she was also half Klingon and had a fiery temper. At least now her ire may be directed into prepping the ship for a possible fight.

 

“It sounds like our only option” Chakotay agreed. “Lets make it happen....dismissed.”

 

The senior staff began to stand to leave the briefing room but Chakotay remained seated. He wished to speak to Tom Paris in a hope he could further the effect of their plan.

 

“Mr Paris” Chakotay caught the pilot's attention.

 

The younger man stopped and turned back towards the Commander. It was nothing the others couldn't hear so he addressed the pilot immediately.

 

“How close can we get to the nebula without feeling any affects from it?” Chakotay inquired.

 

“The radiation levels are not high enough to drain the shields, we could park up right outside it” Tom reasoned. “Why do you ask?”

 

Chakotay expected as much. Usually they stayed a distance away from anomalies out of protocol rather than neccesity. In this instance he intended to ignore that Star Fleet safety protocol and move in as close as possible.

 

“We don't look very menacing hiding back here” he explained. If they were going to threaten the other vessel then they needed to look ready to make that threat a reality.

 

“I'll take us in closer sir” Paris agreed before following the others out.

 


	13. Chapter 13

 

Captain Janeway had been bundled to safety behind a bulkhead by her astrometrics officer. She appreciated Seven's quick thinking and the fact that the younger woman had placed herself between them and the Tintorain guards. What she didn't appreciate was being pressed between a cold steel bulkhead and the warm, pliant ex-borg. Well that wasn't true...she was appreciating it too much and finding it hard to stamp down her rising desire.

 

The blonde's right hand was pressed against the wall by the Captain's head. Seven's borg enhanced left arm was wrapped around her waist, the blonde's mesh covered palm sat flat against Janeways ribs. She could feel heat seaping from the limb and through her Starfleet uniform. She had expected the borg implants to be cool to the touch but that was not the case.

 

The whole of the younger woman's front was pressed against Janeway's back but due to the height difference Seven's rather well endowed chest was pressed into the back of the smaller woman's shoulders. The blonde's head was tilted, her temple resting against the crown of Janeway's head. She could feel Seven's breath against the top of her right ear. It was becoming shallower which suggested the ex-borg was effected by their proximity too.

 

“Seven” she half whispered and half whimpered the blonde's name.

 

The Captain needed the younger woman to move back even just a whisker so she could concentrate on the situation and not just Seven's body. However she was quickly cut off by the ex-borg.

 

“Shhh” Seven of Nine tilted her head further and hissed into the brunette's ear.

 

Star Fleet Captain's wouldn't usually respond well to being hushed but in this instance Janeway bit down any retort. Footsteps began to echo loudly on the steps above them. She tried to count the footsteps and estimate the number of guards passing them but she lost count. More than ten, probably less than twenty.

 

Part of the reason why she lost count was due to the quickening Seven's warm breath against her ear. It made it awfully hard to listen when your nerve endings were incredibly atuned to every slight movement of another human being. Janeway could feel the blonde's heart race indicating that despite the younger woman's outward appearance of calm she was nervous of them being caught.

 

As the guards continued to trample down the stairs Seven shifted her upper body slightly, pressing what felt like impossibly closer into Janeway. The result of this appeared to be Seven's cheek pressed against her own. The Captain felt like she might explode if she didn't get some physical space between them soon. The situation became even more intimate when Seven of Nine began to nuzzle the older woman's cheek. The older woman's eyes automatically slammed shut and she drew her lower lip between her teeth to prevent emitting any sounds of pleasure.

 

Prior to their interactions over the course of the last few hours Janeway would have pressumed it to be accidental or some sort of innocent exploration. However if the older woman was reading things correctly then they had, without many words, acknowledged feelings for one another. Feelings that were not just that of Captain and crew member of even that of friendship. This made it likely that Seven of Nine knew exactly what she was doing and was hoping to draw a reaction from Janeway.

 

The older woman had two options right now. She could allow Seven to continue her affection, giving in to her emotions and the inevitability that now seemed to be surrounding them. She could allow herself to be Kathryn Janeway too or the Captian could re-emerge and put a stop to this. Seven would have to accept her decision and no doubt in time would forgive her.

 

It felt like a turning point. In her book, The Remains of the Day, the main character looks back at a love that he had let slip by. He reckognizes in retrospect that he missed a turning point and then the moment and the opportunity was gone. Did Janeway really want to look back in twenty years and regret not taking the chance to give her heart to Seven...to have Seven giver her heart in return?

 

The footsteps were now passing them and carrying on down the corridor they had just came from. Janeway was vagually aware of them but her attention was on the main directed on the blonde. She moved her head slightly, rubbing her own cheek against Seven's. The ex-borg gasped quietly and tightened her grasp around the smaller woman's midrift. Her borg enahanced fingers beginning to stroke Janeway's side. The decision seemed to be made. There would be no going back now.

 

The guards had moved just out of ear shot and Janeway was about to reluctantly suggest they move when Seven suddenly placed a delicate kiss on the angle of the older woman's jaw. Both Janeway's hands had been pressed against the bulkhead at waist level but in reaction to the kiss her right hand flew up above shoulder level, cupping the back of the taller woman's head.

 

“Oh god” the Captain gasped as Seven kissed the same spot again. The younger woman's second kiss was more confident now she was emboldened by Janeway's reaction.

 

The smaller woman threw caution to the wind and turned in Seven of Nine's arms, a task that wasn't easy due to their close proximity. The ex-borg shifted back slightly to give her space to manouvre. As soon as Janeway was facing the taller woman she cupped her cheeks with both hands and kissed her, letting all the desire and longing she was feeling pour into the kiss. She had no idea if Seven had ever physically kissed anyone before but the blonde responded eagerly by drawing the Captain's body close and vigerously kissing her back.

 

The kiss was passionate and open mouthed. Janeway felt the desire she had been feeling ever since being pressed into the bulkhead with Seven soar even higher with every brush of the blonde's full lips. It felt sensational but they were also wasting valuable time if they wanted to escape their pirate captors. So, demonstrating a large amount of will power, Janeway pulled back out of the kiss. She pressed her hands against Seven's shoulders to prevent the younger woman coming back for more. The ex-borg looked dazed by the sudden loss of contact.

 

“We really do need to find the Delta Flyer” the Captain explained.

 

“Yes...I apologise” Seven straightened and nodded.

 

Janeway couldn't help but smile at the shift in the other woman's demeanor. At least it bode well that her astrometrics officer could snap back to the Captain – subordinate professional dynamic when required.

 

“Oh there is no need to be sorry” Janeway assured the younger woman; grinning as she spoke. Seven matched her smile with a less toothy one of her own.

 

The Captain grasped the blonde's hand and directed them out of their hiding space. She expected that Seven would release her hand as soon as they were in the corridor but instead the ex-borg kept their hands clasped together as she guided Janeway up the stairs and onto the next deck.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Seven of Nine usually found it easy to focus on the task at hand. As she made her way down the last corridor, hand in hand with Captain Kathryn Janeway suddenly focus didn't seen so simple a task. The ex-borg wanted to focus on where they were going and what dangers lay in their way. Instead most of her attention was drawn to her right hand and the warm, comfortable feeling of the smaller woman's hand clasping it.

 

The hand, and Janeway's other, had been cupping her cheeks just moments before...when the Captain had kissed her. Kathryn had kissed her and it had felt wonderful. Seven had always admired the passion and the fire that Janeway put into her work but to have all that emotion focused on her had felt exceptional. Better than exceptional...in fact she could not locate the words to describe how she felt.

 

In truth the ex-borg had no idea what had made her so bold. Perhaps it was the way the Captain had practically begged her not to ask to leave her behind, revealing more emotion than the older woman would normally allow. Perhaps it was the anger Janeway had displayed at the idea of her being traded like property. Perhaps it was the fact Seven felt like she was losing the other woman and was desperite to make a stand. Or perhaps it was just simply because they were so irrisistably close together in that small space. How could she have been expected to focus on anything but the feel of Kathryn's body against her, her scent, the acceleration of her heart beat...

 

Seven still felt she was floating...like she was intoxicated. So much so that she nearly walked straight past the hanger bay where the Delta Flyer was stored. Luckily the blonde had realised just as they reached the door although she was sure that the other woman had not failed to notice the effect she was having on her. Seven pressed the button next to the door and it slid open with a faint hiss.

 

They entered the room quickly, lookingforsigns of guards, but again there where none. Luckily the Tintorian vessel did not appear to have a large crew and most of them where headed in the wrong direction towards their vaccated cell.

 

Before them was a small hanger with only two ship present. A small shuttle craft that did not look Tintorian in origin and their own larger craft. Thankfully it appeared that the Tintorian's had done little else than bring the ship on board. The doors hissed closed behind them.

 

“The Delta Flyer” Janeway grinned.

 

Seven felt her heart race, her breathing becoming laboured and her mouth going dry merely at the sound of the older woman's voice. Apparently the kiss had only made the infliction stronger despite it being a very inconvenient time for the ex-borg to be showing signs of arousal.

 

“I'll...i'll start the launch procedure” Seven stuttered, swallowing in an attempt to moisten her mouth which currently felt like paper.

 

Her legs didn't seem to process the message though and she remained stood, angled towards Janeway, still clasping her commanding officer's hand.

 

“Okay” the Captain responded. The older woman kept eye contact with Seven which didn't help the blonde's issue.

 

She semed rooted to the spot which once upon a time would have made her fear her nanaprobes were malfunctioning. Research and plenty of experience in the Captain's presence indicated this was not the case. This research had suggested that reduced ability to fuction around another was a symptom of being in love. Seven had been feeling most of the other syptoms her research had highlighted which made for one clear conclusion...

 

“Okay” the ex-borg dazedly repeated.

 

Janeway seemed to grasp what was happening and grinned. It was the kind of smile Seven had heard Tom Paris compare to a 'cheshire cat'...although the comparison made no sense to her. Then suddenly the smaller woman was tugging the blonde forward by their joined hands and Seven stepped forward willingly. She was met by Janeway's warm lips pressing firmly against her own; but as quickly as the kiss had started it was over.

 

“Go” the Captain instructed, practically giggling as she spoke.

 

Seven could feel heat rising in her cheeks as she released the older woman and stumbled towards the control panel which sat behind them and against the wall. Behind her she could hear Janeway opening the hatch to the Delta Flyer. By the time Seven had reached the panel she had managed to snap herself back to reality and the first thing she did was use her borg codes to hack into the system to seal all the doors on the ship including the one to the corridor.

 

The ex-borg then focused on tapping in to the main systems except the launch procedure and scrambling them. It would leave the ship imobile, blind and without shielding for a short while although she doubted it it wouldn't take the Tintorian's long to overide the codes and take back control of their ship. It would be enough of a disruption to let them get clear of the pirate vessel though.

 

Seven initiated the launch procedure, giving herself thirty seconds to enter the Delta Flyer before the room depressurized and the external hanger door opened. As soon as everything was keyed in to the controls she ran across the hanger and up the ramp of the Delta Flyer, initiating the closing of the door as soon as she was inside the vessel. The ramp lifted and sealed, locking into place with an audibal thud, with only a few seconds left to spare before the large hanger doors began to pull open in front of them.

 

Janeway was already at the helm of the craft and initiating the take off procedure. Seven walked towards the tactical seat alongside the helm, ignoring a slight wave of dizziness. Saddly this time her physical reactions were not caused by Kathryn Janeway but by the removal of the implant casing. Her nanoprobes were working hard to counter any possible infection which had been known to make her feel an occasional lightheadedness.

 

“You took your time” the Captain stated as the ex-borg sat as gracefully as she could muster next to the smaller woman.

 

Seven focused her attention on the controls in front of her but she could see Janeway glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. Obviously she hadn't been as graceful as she'd hoped as the Captain seemed concerned.

 

“I scrambled all their systems” Seven explained. “It should give us a few minutes head start.”

 

After finishing her sentence Seven dared a glance in her captian's direction. Janeway nodded and smiled in approval but there was still an underlying look of concern and affection. The blonde smilled back but could feel heat rising to her cheeks again. She looked down at the controls and began to run a diagnostic of the ship, undecided if she was amused or annoyed with herself for blushing.

 

Janeway punched in the last few commands at the helm and they lurched forward, gathering momentum quickly as Janeway flung them out of the hanger and into the dense asteroid field in the nebula. They were going to be 'flying by the seat of their pants', to coin another of Tom Paris' phrases, moving at this speed through the nebula. As if she had read Seven's mind Janeway glanced at the blonde and offered her a reasuring smile.

 

“Sorry but If we want to stay out of range of the Tintorian's then this is going to be a rough ride” the Captain said determindly...with that fire and passion that Seven had 'admired' so often.

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Chakotay was pacing the bridge yet again, unable to just sit and wait like Captain Janeway could when under the same strain. He was sure it was probably driving the rest of the bridge crew mad but they were too polite to comment.

 

“We will be in position in one minute Commander” Tom Paris informed him.

 

“Good” the ex Marquis Captain replied calmly, despite his restless state. “Statis Ensign Kim?”

 

“The probe is ready for launch and I have aligned the ships communicators to its frequencies” the young Ensign replied.

 

“Tuvok?” he directed at the Vulcan.

 

“Voyager is on amber alert” the Luitenant Commander announced, “Weapons are armed and the shields are raised.”

 

The Commander finally took a seat an looked to the large viewscreen in front of them. He flexed his fingers against the end of the Captains arm rest, firmly forcing his 'game face' in place. He was often the calming influence in frought situations, often taking on the role of ships councillor. Having been a Captain himself before having to merge with Voyager's crew he was perfectly capable of engaging with a percieved enemy.

In fact, now the moment had come he was almost relishing the role.

 

“Luitenant Paris?” he demanded a status update; certain a minute must have gone by.

 

“In position in 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1” the pilot counted them down.

 

As soon as he was in position there was a flurry of tapping around Chakotay as the bridge crew put the plan in action. Having been together in the delta quadrant for over six years now they were like a well oiled machine.

 

“Launching probe” Ensign Kim announced.

 

Chakotay remained silent as he watched a third probe now hurtling straight for the gap in the nebula. Due to their close position to the anomally it was a matter of seconds before it disapeared into the dust clouds.

 

xxxxxxxxxx

 

It had only been ten minutes since the probe launched and Chakotay was becoming restless again. He resisted the temptation to stand and pace again.

 

“Begin hailing the Tintorian's” he commanded.

 

It had taken around twenty minutes for the previous probe to come into range of the pirate vessel so there was little likelyhood of their hails gaining a response for another ten minutes. Noone protested his decision though and Ensign Kim began attempting to reach them. The first attempt gained no response and after about thirty seconds Kim tried again.

 

“Commander we have them” the young man exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat in his excitement.

 

“It's audio only but they have opened a channel” Kim continued to explain.

 

The quick response caught Chakotay by surprise but he quickly shook it off. Game face back on her instructed the young Ensign to patch them through. He took a deep steadying breath and began his negotiation attempt.

 

“This is Commander Chakotay of the Starfleet Star Ship Voyager. You have taken two of our crew members and our exploration vessel. We ask that you return them to us and are willing to trade despite the fact you have taken them by force.”

 

It was diplomacy first as Starfleet protocol stated. The rigid rules and structure had felt overbearing to the ex-marquis crew at first but Chakotay had grown to respect them and find comfort in them during their forced exploration of the distant quadrant of space.

 

“Your Captain already tried that approach COMMANDER” a crackling male voice replied scornfully; “but I already have what I want aboard my own vessel.”

 

The quality of the audio was poor, indicating they were only just in range of the probe, but it was clear enough for Chakotay to hear the tone of the Tintorian Captain's voice....and dislike it immensly.

 

He didn't dare ask what exactly the Tintorian's were so keen on keeping. He hoped it was just the advanced Delta Flyer but he had a feeling in the pitt of his stomach that it wasn't the case. Whatever it was that the Tintorian's valued it sounded like diplomacy wasn't going to work. _On to option two_ thought the Commander, steeling himself for his next attempt.

 

“We are explorers but our vessel is heavily armed. We have been in combat with the borg on multiple occasions and lived to tell the tale. If you do not safely return our people to us then we will be left with little choice but to engage hostilities with you.”

 

He was happy with his wording but also weary that they knew little of the Tintorian's and their scrupples. He hoped he had not put his Captain and Seven of Nine in more danger. Janeway had become a close friend over their time together in the Delta Quadrant. They were meant to steer Voyager home together.

 

“How so Commander when you cannot enter the nebula?” the Tintorian Captain practically sneered.

 

Chakotay mentally noted that the crackling had decreased slightly and the voice had become clearer. He grasped the end of the Captain's seat in irritation but other than that his demeanour did not give away his ire at the alien's tone, nor did his voice.

 

“You can't hide in there forever...” he stated coolly “...and I can be a very patient man.”

 

“Your demmands are unacceptable and your threats meaningless” the Tintorian dismissed. The line went totally silent.

 

“They have cut communication” Ensign Kim confirmed, his earlier excitement completely diminished.

 

The bridge became eerily silent as Chakotay mulled over his options...or lack there of. The only sound was the faint hum of the warp engines and the consoles around the bridge.

 

“They must be moving towards us” Tuvok suddenly spoke up. “The probe was not as far into the nebula as before and their signal grew stronger and clearer during our brief communication.”

 

The Vulcan was confirming something that Chakotay had himself noticed during the brief and unsuccesful 'conversation' with the alien pirate vessel. He hoped they had surmised correctly as he wasn't sure how long they could realistically sit and wait before protocol stated they had to abandon their two crew members for the good of the larger crew.

 

“I'm in no mood for diplomacy” the Commander finally declared. “As soon as that ship exits the nebula I want you to target every system except life support. Let's see if our demmands are unnacceptable when they are sitting ducks.”

 


	16. Chapter 16

 

Kathryn Janeway was becoming progressively more worried about her beautiful blonde companion. Surreptitious glances in Seven's direction alerted her to the fact that the ex-borg was becoming paler and looked to be having difficulty focusing on the data in front of her. Seven was also very quiet, only commenting if they were moving towards large debris so Janeway had time to maneuver away from it.

 

Despite her concerns, the Captain could do very little to help at this time. She had her hands full trying to safely pilot them through the nebula at full impulse. It really was proving to be a rough ride and shields were already down to seventy percent. If the Tintorian ship caught them it wouldn't take much for them to disable them again even if they managed to remain out of the range of their tractor beam.

 

The Delta Flyer's scanners beeped again and Seven of Nine poured over the data. Janeway could tell by the worried expression that this wasn't just a large chunk of rock they were picking up.

 

“The Tintorian Vessel” Seven confirmed, “It's just at the edge of our sensor range but because of the debris field it keeps fading in and out.”

 

“At least it will be the same for them too” Janeway tried to look on the bright side.

 

Seven nodded nearly imperceptively and went back to tapping the control pannel to her right. All was silent between them again as Janeway focussed on her own task. A large piece of debris glanced the right side of the Flyer, taking the shields down to sixty five percent. There was no way the Tintorian's could move through that section that quickly due to their size so that five percent had probably bought them another thirty seconds of advantage in their attempts to evade the alien vessel.

 

“Voyager is hailing the Tintorian's” Seven suddenly exclaimed.

 

“Voyager?” Janeway saidin amazement; “How?”

 

There was no way Voyager would fit in this dense nebula and she would skin Chakotay if he was trying to do so. It would put the whole crew in danger.

 

“Via a probe” Seven replied after a few long seconds.

 

Janeway sighed in relief. Her First Officer was safe from her wrath and apparently being very resourceful in her absence. In theory they could use the probe to hail Voyager but it would practically put neon lights over their position. They were too far from the edge of the nebula still to give their exact position away, even briefly, to their hunters.

 

“Can we listen in without the Tintorian's using it to locate our exact position?” she enquired.

 

Seven tapped a few controls and nodded. No further instruction was needed as the blonde tapped in to the communication. A poor and slightly distorted line opened, Chakotay's voice only just recognisable as it rung out inside the Delta Flyer.

 

“ _This is Commander Chakotay of the Starfleet Star Ship Voyager. You have taken two of our crew members and our exploration vessel. We ask that you return them to us and are willing to trade despite the fact you have taken them by force.”_

 

Ever the diplomat, her First Officer was clearly trying to start by being reasonable. She was well aware after her brief but unpleasant conversations with K'trenta that the 'reasonable' approach would fall spectacularly flat.

 

The two women listened in silence as it did just that. Janeway could hear the alien's responces a lot clearer that Chakotay because of their closer proximety to the Tintorian vessel. K'Trenta was as short with her First officer as he was with her. Even when Chakotay stepped up his repertoire to threats the Tintorian Pirate Captain sounded disinterested and unmoved.

 

“ _Your demmands are unacceptable and your threats meaningless.”_

 

K'Trenta totally dismissed the conversation with Voyager and cut communications. They were in a slightly less dense part of the nebula so Janeway glanced across to the younger woman to gage her reaction. Seven turned her head towards the Captains gaze and quirked her cortical implant. It was an expression Janeway adored on her.

 

“That went well” the Astometrics Officer replied dryly.

 

Janeway smirked at the younger woman's sarcasm. The ex-borg had mastered the art of dry humour relatively quickly in comparison to some of the other human traits she had been nurturing and developing. Apaprently even when feeling rough it was a trait that remained firmly intact.

 

“At least we know Voyager is just outside the nebula waiting to pounce” the Captain remarked.

 

She hadn't given much thought to what Voyager would be doing outside of the nebula to get them back. Her focus had been rather distracted by the blonde next to her.

 

“Voyager is not a feline” Seven responded flatly.

 

The ex-borg had come to terms with a lot of their quirky termology over the last couple of years but there where still times when she couldn't grasp their technically incorrect use of words.

 

“No I...” Janeway began to explain, halting again when she saw the smirk on the blondes face. Seven was winding her up...in the middle of a nebula...whilst fleeing for their lives from an alien race.

 

“This sense of humour you are developing really is wicked” the older woman grinned.

 

Seven smiled to herself whilst double checking the readings on the scanner. Janeway had a few slight evasive manouvers to fit through some gaps in the field before it opened out a little again. They really could do with it becoming denser again for the cover it provided them.

 

“You do not like my bantering?” Seven inquired as soon as the debris field cleared slightly, a slight smirk gracing her beautiful albeit paler than usual features.

 

Janeway smiled at the blonde and gently bit on her own lower lip. Seven of Nine was flirting with her and the older woman was rather enjoying it despite the peril they were in. The ex-borgs question brought to mind another quote from The Remains of the Day.

 

“In bantering lies the key to human warmth” Janeway quoted.

 

Seven looked momentarily confused before a look of dawning flashed across her features.

 

“Your book?” she asked.

 

Janeway nodded but had to turn her attention completely to the screen again. They were approaching a denser area again much to her relief. It would take some nifty piloting but again it would slow their hunters downwho would have surely gained on them after the more open area they had just transversed.

 

“I concur” Seven suddenly stated.

 

Janeway glanced across at the blonde in confusion, wondering if she had actually spoken her thoughts out loud. However it seemed that the Astrometric's Officer was still thinking about their previous conversation.

 

“With your book” the younger woman explained after seeing the Captains confusion.

 

Janeway found herself smiling again. Seven was telling her that she enjoyed and found comfort in their banter and conversations. It warmed the older woman considerably although considering they had been kissing less than half an hour before it was hardly much of a revelation. It was fair to say they liked each other's company...a lot.

 

“I don't suppose they have stopped chasing us?” Janeway asked in an attempt to revert their focus soley back on the task at hand.

 

If they didn't they were likely to end up nose first in a chunk of debris, never mind caught by angry alien space pirates. They really did find themselves in some crazy situations. It was just another day in the Delta Quadrant.

 

“I'm afraid not” Seven replied gravely, “they obviously did not find Commander Chakotay very threatening.”

 

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

Seven of Nine continued to monitor the sensors closely. She had altered their parameters so they only picked up larger items. This meant that smaller, less significant debris did not over load the data and make it harder to see larger debris and the Tintorian vessel. For the last few minutes the pirate vessel was a constant presence.

 

“Those sensors are making a bit too much noise for my liking” the Captain worried from the helm.

 

“The Tintorian ship is closing in but we are only 80 seconds away from the edge of the debris field” the ex-borg replied matter of factly.

 

The blonde grasped the edge of the control panel to counter the movement of the Delta Flyer as it was jostled by dust particles and small particles. It would have been an unpleasant sensation on any occasion but in this instance it felt even worse due to the faint dizziness she was experiencing. Despite the unpleasant stimulus Seven kept her focus.

 

“30 seconds” she stated.

 

“How many seconds till they are in firing range?” the Captain asked; her gaze locked forward and focused fully on the flight controls.

 

“35 seconds” Seven estimated.

 

The ex-borg was well aware that as soon as they were in open space they would come under attack from the Tintorian's. They would be virtually defenceless when this occurred although the blonde suspected that K'Trenta would merely disable them and try to recapture them. Their only hope was that Voyager was within firing range just like Chakotay had threatened in the communication.

 

They clipped yet another chunk of debris, causing the Delta Flyer to jerk to the left. Seven braced herself, barely remaining in her seat. Janeway was flung left too but managed to push back into the seat using the panel to the side of her.

 

“Shields down to 35%” the Captain grimaced.

 

The last hit appeared to have taken their auxiliary sensors offline so they only had what they could see on the view screen and the most basic sensors to work from. Luckily they were past the last of the debris field. The nebula seemed to fade in front of them as the flew through the last of the dust particles and into normal space.

 

The radar system alerted to Seven that the Tintorian's had exited just seconds after them. Four smaller readings suddenly flashed up, moving towards them at great speed. The ex-borg surmised that the ship had launched missiles.

 

“They are firing!” she warned the Captain.

 

Janeway began evasive manoeuvrers but it would be an impossible task with the readings they had to work from. With the shields at only thirty five percent they could only take two hits before the shields would fail. Just as Seven was beginning to brace for impact a much larger reading appeared on the rudimentary scanners. It had been hidden at the edge of the nebula and was now firing on the Tintorian's and the missiles.

 

“Voyager!” Janeway exclaimed as their star ship appeared at the edge of their view screen.

 

Janeway brought the Delta Flyer so they had a cleared view of the other two vessels. As Janeway manoeuvred, the ex-borg re-routed power from the scientific systems to the sensors, bringing them back online.

 

Voyager was firing tactically at the pirate star ship and had systematically taken out their weaponry, tractor beam, warp capacity and shields. As soon as the ship was incapable of fighting back Voyager halted its barrage. Seven took the opportunity to scan the alien ship, using their original search parameters to look for traces of dilithium. There was a strong reading in the Tintorian's cargo bay that the aliens had obviously mined. The ex-borg took some pleasure in locking on to the container and beaming it aboard the Delta Flyer.

 

“Did you just steal from the Tintorian's?!” Janeway exclaimed.

 

Seven could tell that whilst the older woman was amused at her actions she also disapproved. As a Starfleet Captain stealing from alien races probably wasn't viewed as acceptable. The blonde wasn't going to be easily guilt tripped though.

 

“They desired to steal me” she pointed out, quirking her brow. Kathryn Janeway always seemed to respond positively to that facial expression.

 

Unfortunately the simple action of raising her cortical implant caused another wave of dizziness to rush over her and she grasped at the edge of the console again to steady herself. This time the Captain's focus was directed at her and not the Delta Flyer's helm so the older woman did not miss her discomfort.

 

Janeway reached out and softly lay her right hand over Seven's; her concern evident in her worried grey eyes. It was contact that would have aroused the ex-borg earlier but now she was feeling weaker Seven just found it comforting and warm. She released her grasp of the console and turned her hand instead so it was clasped with Janeway's.

 

The older woman smiled softly at Seven whilst gently running her thumb against the edge where borg mesh met skin on the blonde's hand. With her free hand the Captain firmly tapped her com badge.

 

“Janeway to Voyager” she hailed the ship.

 

“Captain its a relief to hear your voice” Commander Chakotay responded sincerely.

 

“Beam Seven straight to sick bay on my command?” Janeway instructed, apparently more interested in the blondes health than in exchanging pleasantries.

 

The ex-borg wasn't keen on being separated from the Captain just yet. She had no idea how Janeway would act once they returned to Voyager. It was plausible that she may halt their romantic interactions due to Starfleet protocol. If that was the case then Seven of Nine wanted to stay in the moment for as long as possible. Even if that was just a few minutes more as they returned to Voyager.

 

“I will be fine...” she tried to argue but the Captain cut her off.

 

“Seven” Janeway said simply but firmly.

 

The younger woman knew that tone well. It was the one that stated there would be no discussion around the matter. As much as she wanted to fight the decision she also knew that if they had any chance going forward with a romantic attachment then Seven had to be able to show she was not compromised in her role as a subordinate officer. So the younger woman reluctantly nodded her agreement. The Captain smiled broadly at her and squeezed her hand.

 

“Go grab your loot and take it with you” Janeway commanded as she unclasped their joined hands.

 

Seven was confused by this term. Why was Janeway asking her to take a musical instrument with her, especially one that she neither played nor owned. Obviously the word had another meaning as many human terms seemed to do.

 

“Loot?” the ex-borg enquired.

 

Janeway smirked and turned in the chair, pointing towards the metal container Seven had beamed on board.

 

“The dilithium” the Captain directed.

 

Seven carefully rose to her feet and stepped towards the container, only to be stopped by Janeway's hand grasping her own again. This time it was the completely human hand that the older woman enclosed in her own. The ex-borg looked down at her seated companion and found herself gazing into entrancing grey eyes again. Janeway looked at her with such affection again that Seven felt like her heart had grown wings and may race out of her chest.

 

Seven managed to keep her hand entangled with the older woman's whilst reaching down for the container's handle with her borg enhanced hand. Not that it felt very enhanced at this moment in time. Once she had the container in her grasp Janeway gave her one last warm smile before tapping the com badge again with her free hand.

 

“She is ready for transport” the Captain instructed Voyager; releasing their entwined hands just as the transporter engaged.

 

Seven watched as the Delta Flyer and Kathryn Janeway faded from view and she re-materialised in the sick bay on Voyager. The worried Doctor, her friend, stood before her awaiting whatever medical emergency had befallen her.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Chakotay waited patiently for Kathryn Janeway to join him in the ready room as instructed. He had suggested that she take some time to change and even rest first but the Captain had insisted on speaking to him as soon as she returned to the ship. So the Commander had given Tuvok the bridge and made his way to the ready room to update his log.

 

The Tintorian vessel had limped back into the edge of the nebula so Chakotay had ordered Voyager to return to its original position. They still had the nebula on their view screens as, until they had the long range sensors back online, he was reluctant to turn his back on the aliens.

 

The Doctor had contacted him immediately after Seven of Nine had arrived in sickbay and update him on the situation. The ex-borg had returned with more than enough dilithium for engineering to fix the sensors. She had also arrived weak and in need of medical assistance.

 

The door to the ready room hummed and began to slide open. It revealed an exhausted looking but unharmed Kathryn Janeway. She didn't even bother to mask her physical weariness as she walked in to the room and halted before the desk.

 

“Enjoying being in my chair Commander?” Kathryn jested.

 

“It's a fine chair” Chakotay quipped in return, “but you are more than welcome to it.”

 

He was genuine in his answer. The pressure of returning Voyager and its crew to their homes and families in the Alpha Quadrant was a burden her didn't desire to bare. As a senior officer he may share some of that burden but it was different being in the Captain's chair...all eyes fell to that individual to provide answers, guidance and a moral compass.

 

The First Officer climbed to his feet and gestured to the seat he had just vacated. Janeway smiled weakly and walked around the table to take her rightful place, Chakotay making the journey in the other direction to sit opposite her. Once they were both seated comfortably he noticed that she was clutching a steaming flask in her right hand. Obviously a thoughtful crew member had provided her with her favourite beverage on route to the bridge.

 

“How do you feel?” Chakotay enquired.

 

Janeway looked disinterested in his line of questioning but responded anyway after a long swig of her coffee. Talking to her about personal matters always was a bit like drawing blood from a stone.

 

“They disabled the Delta Flyer with an EM pulse which has left me with a fading headache but other than that I am well” Janeway assured him.

 

The Commander knew nothing of what had happened inside of the nebula other than what he had surmised from Seven of Nine's condition. They had been captured, they had somehow escaped using one of Seven's implants and had returned with the Delta Flyer and some dilithium that appeared to have been 'acquired' from the Tintorian's. Now he at least knew how they had been captured in the first place.

 

“How long until Lieutenant Torres can get the long range sensors back in operation?” the Captain asked.

 

Chakotay smiled to himself at the predictability of the woman in front of him. Captain Kathryn Janeway was straight down to business with little concern about her own health. She was often known to pull extra shifts or work in her own quarters until the early hours of the morning.

 

“Within the hour” he relayed.

 

B'Elanna and her team had been working frantically whilst the away team had been gone so that everything was ready to go as soon as they had the ore. They just had to treat it and insert the fully formed crystal into the sensor array.

 

“Good, as soon as the repair is complete I want to be in warp and heading FAR away from here” Janeway commanded.

 

Chakotay was intrigued by her answer. Neither her or Seven seemed to have been too badly physically affected by their experience yet Janeway was distant and distracted. She was also more visibly annoyed than he had seen her for a while. It was an odd mixture of emotions that he partly attributed to the woman's exhaustion. He suspected that something else had happened on board the alien vessel.

 

“I take it your hosts were less than hospitable?” he coaxed.

 

“Pirate's rarely are” Janeway dismissed.

 

He sensed that this line of questioning wasn't working for him either so he decided not to press any further. At least not for now. Often the older woman just needed some time to think things through for herself before discussing them. Even at first, when they were closer, it took time for her to confide in him with any issues. Back then he had thought they may eventually become a couple but they had drifted apart as the years ticked by.

 

Chakotay had been saddened by this at first but then he had come to understand that they would never have really been compatible. The idea of her had been different to reality. She was the closest thing to parity in rank whilst still remaining a challenge. They had seemed such a long way from home so it was logical that the crew would start 'pairing up'. Janeway had been the logical choice but time had shown that here in the Delta Quadrant it was the most unlikely pairings that seemed to flourish. Take B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris for example.

 

“They wanted to trade the dilithium for Seven” Janeway finally broke the thoughtful silence that had descended upon them both.

 

Chakotay now had a sense of what was bothering the Captain. Seven of Nine was important to her, that much had been clear for a while. At first he thought Janeway was just protective over the blonde because she had severed Seven's link to the collective and thrust her into a completely foreign and terrifying situation.

 

He, like other member's of the crew, had been more than a little sceptical about having an ex-borg drone aboard. For a long time he had presumed this hostility had pushed Janeway to compensate by spending a lot of her free time with Seven. Over the last year he had reconsidered this view and evolved his theory. He now suspected something emotionally deeper but doubted the Captain would ever act on any feelings. That didn't stop the older woman hurting if Seven of Nine was threatened.

 

“How is she?” Janeway asked after another lengthy silence.

 

“The Doctor informs me that the damage to her systems is minimal and that once he has recalibrated and repaired the implant a twenty four hour stint in the regenerator will see her back to full health” the First Officer replied.

 

“He would like to see you too once you have rested” he added.

 

The Captain nodded in response but she still looked distracted. Distracted and very tired. He was about to give her a gentle nudge towards bed when she took the decision for herself.

 

“Yes of course” she agreed. “If everything is under control I will retire to my quarters.”

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

Kathryn Janeway had expected to toss and turn most of the night but instead, safe in the knowledge that Seven would be okay, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She put that down mostly to mental exhaustion after her forced reckless piloting of the Delta Flyer and the effects of being hit by an EM pulse. Twice. They had been hit by an EM pulse twice.

 

Of course it had also been an emotionally exhausting away mission. She had spent a long time fighting her feelings in some form or another. At first she had fought against the notion that she was attracted to Seven. Then she had reluctantly admitted to herself that she was attracted to her but then the blonde was gorgeous so that was hardly a big deal. The problem is once Kathryn had allowed herself to think of Seven in that way it allowed everything to spiral.

 

She had then spent months trying to pretend she was merely physically attracted to the ex-borg...that it was nothing serious and that she could ignore it. Then finally she had admitted to herself that at some point that attraction had turned to love. Janeway had presumed that love was unrequited. Or at least she had told herself that it was unrequited despite having noticed many indicators that the younger woman may be attracted to her.

 

That last bit of denial had been her safety net. On the Tintorian ship Seven of Nine had blown a huge hole through that net and Kathryn had let her. Now the emotions were pouring out and she seemed to have no control. The dam was broken. The wall had fallen. It would take a monumental effort to turn back and rebuild those defences. Janeway doubted she had it in her especially as it would mean hurting Seven.

 

So after an ironic total of seven hours sleep the Captain had found herself wide awake and with far too much playing on her mind to remain idle in her quarters. She had donned her uniform and left her quarters, determined to get her medical examination over before her shift was due to start. It wasn't the first destination on her list though. First stop, cargo bay two. That is how she'd ended up in this position, leaning against the side panel of the large borg device, watching Seven regenerate.

 

It wasn't the first time she had stood and gazed whilst the blonde was unaware. In fact she didn't dare try to count the amount of times it had occurred. Sometimes, if she had wanted to speak to the ex-borg as soon she had finished regenerating then Janeway would go earlier than necessary so she could watch her for a short while. Other times, often after Seven had been in danger, Kathryn would forgo sleep just to stand there and reassure herself that the younger woman was okay. On those occasions she had wished herself brave enough to tell the ex-borg how she felt in case next time one of them died and she would never get the chance. Cowardice, wrapped in the package of duty would always win out.

 

This time Janeway faced a different dilemma. Seven was now fully aware how her Captain felt and apparently reciprocated those feelings. The older woman could only guess at the depth of the blonde's emotions because they hadn't actually spoken of it. It was all knowing looks, touches and of course...that kiss. It had left them standing on a precipice. Did they retreat or did they jump?

 

Her book, 'The Remains of the Day', described these moments as turning points. In the novel the main character looks back at one of these possible turning points, one he let slide past him at the time, but in retrospect he realised the moments significance.

 

“ _But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably drive oneself to distraction in this way. In any case, while it is all very well to talk of 'turning points', one can surely only recognize such moments in retrospect. Naturally, when one looks back to such instances today, they may indeed take the appearance of being crucial, precious moments in one's life; but of course, at the time, this was not the impression one had.”_

 

This moment in time between her and Seven of Nine, it wasn't subtle, she needed no hindsight to see its significance. If Janeway didn't take a chance on the blonde and she pushed her away then she risked losing Seven forever. It would be a betrayal of the trust they had built for her to turn back now after raising the younger woman's hopes. That scared her more than anything. It put her in mind of segment of poetry she had learnt as part of her schooling.

 

 _Regret came shivering through my veins,_  
And bound my tongue in iron chains;  
My soul in prison seem'd to be,  
And ever must if torn from thee  
  


It was from a poem called 'The Recall to Affection' by Susanna Blamire. It seemed to sum up exactly how she felt at the prospect of losing Seven. All the other fears that once countered any possible relationship between them nowt seemed smaller having tasted what she could have. Those Starfleet protocols she had been clinging on to...they were never designed with such lengthy space exploration in mind. Besides, Seven wasn't actually part of Starfleet so the fraternising rule was a grey area anyway. The possibility of a negative reaction to their relationship from the crew...most of them would be pleased for their captain and those that were sceptical would eventually learn to adapt.

 

Janeway let her eyes roam the younger woman as she peacefully regenerated. Seven's colouring was now back to normal and not the sickly pale colour it had been by the time they had exited the nebula. Her hair was immaculate as always. The only time Janeway ever saw a strand out of place was when they played velocity together on the holodeck. The ex-borg's face was relaxed; a picture of serenity. That was one of the reason's Janeway enjoyed watching her during the regeneration process. Seven of Nine rarely looked relaxed in any other situation.

 

The Captain wanted to reach out and stroke the blonde's strong jaw line. She needed some sort of physical contact. The older woman held back though, afraid that if she did provide even the slightest stimulus then the regeneration cycle would be broken. The Doctor had said Seven required twenty four hours uninterrupted regeneration to recover fully. By Janeway's calculation Seven had only been in the cycle for approximately eight hours. She had a long time to wait and think before she could address all these feelings and desires with the other woman.

 

The captain straightened up and stepped away from the regenerator, coming to a halt directly in front of the ex-borg drone. She allowed herself a few moments more to admire the younger woman. 'Sweet dreams' had long been her synonym for 'I love you' on these occasions when she watched Seven or helped set the regeneration cycle for her. On this occasion it seemed 'insufficient' as Seven would say.

 

“I love you” Janeway murmured, testing the words out loud for the first time.

 

It was cowardly really, to say it to Seven whilst she couldn't hear it. Kathryn Janeway worked in stages though and now she had tried those three words on for size she felt liberated. Now there was just the small matter of the 16 hours she would have to wait to speak to the blonde again.

 

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

15 hours later after an overbearing Doctor's examination, a long and tedious shift, a disastrous replicated meal and much needed shower Janeway made her way back to Cargo Bay 2. She had her book in hand, content to sit and read whilst Seven finished regenerating. However when she arrived at the Cargo Bay she found the regenerator empty. The screen indicating the cycle had ended early at 22 hours.

 

“Computer locate Seven of Nine” Janeway demanded.

 

“Seven of Nine in located in Astrometrics” the main computer replied.

 

Janeway grimaced. Seven was not due on shift for another nine hours but it was typical of the ex-borg to throw herself straight back into work. The older woman just hoped nothing was wrong.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Seven of Nine was rarely disturbed during her regeneration programme. In the past it had indicated bad news but more recently, as she physically adapted more to her human body, the occasional dream or nightmare had broken the regeneration cycle.

 

At first she had thought these dreams were a sign she was malfunctioning but she was becoming more accustomed to them now. Often, if she 'awoke' from regeneration in the middle of the cycle she would just take a steadying breath before continuing. This time it was near the end of the cycle and she felt well and fully rested. So Seven had made her way to the Astometrics lab with the intention of carrying on her normal work; plotting Voyager's way through the upcoming sectors.

 

However, Seven was finding it hard to concentrate after her dream and also what had transpired between the Captain and herself on the Tintorian Star Ship. The two were very much interlinked.

 

During their escape the two of them had kissed. It wasn't like anything Seven had experienced before. It was not a chaste kiss or a friendly kiss but one that had indicated that Captain Kathryn Janeway held a deep desire for her. She had wanted the older woman to feel that way towards her but had not expected it. That desire she had felt from and for Janeway whilst pressed together behind the bulk head had spilled into her dreams.

 

In her dream they had not stopped at just the kissing. Time had stood still, and the Tintorian's vanished, whilst Seven had pressed her Captain against the wall and let her hands roam wild. Her regeneration cycle had been interupted when her vitals had shifted significantly away from her normal readings. Vitals such as temperature, respiration and heart rate had increased. She had started to think of such reactions as the Janeway effect.

 

With all those emotions swimming around her mind Seven had found herself staring at an image of the nebula on her view screen instead of looking at upcoming data. She had often wondered about the logic behind humans displaying images as keepsakes. It was likely that had previously been negatively coloured by the fact she had borg eidetic memory. She had also never experienced a moment that mattered deeply enough to want to relive it multiple times. Yet this image of the nebula was a pleasant reminder of what had occurred within it.

 

Seven of Nine feared that Janeway would back track now that they had returned to the ship. That the older woman would blame the high level's of emotion on the stressful situation and insist duty prevented them sharing a romantic relationship. If that was the case then this image may be the only thing she had until they reached the alpha quadrant.

 

As Seven was staring at this image the doors to the Astrometric's lab slid open behind her. She raised her hand to change the image on the screen but recognised the footfall as her Captains. Seven lowered her hand again; there was no point hiding her thoughts and fears. They had to be addressed for them to move forward in any direction.

 

“You should be regenerating still” the older woman pointed out as she came to halt on Seven's right.

 

Janeway had rested her side against the edge of the console so she was angled towards Seven and draped her right arm across its surface. The brunette's hand lay just in front of the ex-borg but Seven didn't dare reach for it yet. In fact she found herself locked rigidly in place, stood to attention with her hands clasped behind her back.

 

“I am sufficiently rested” she argued.

 

The Captain didn't comment. In the past the two of them may have locked horns over the issue but on this occasion the the commanding officer seemed happy enough to let it slide. Instead Janeway turned her attention to the view screen, mirroring the blonde's pose.

 

“Our nebula” the older woman stated.

 

Seven liked the fact Janeway referred to the nebula as _their's_. It gave her a warm tingling feeling and for the first time since she had finished regenerating the blonde felt hopeful.

 

“According to the Tintorian's it is their nebula” the ex-borg quipped.

 

The Captain smiled and glanced across at Seven, edging closer as she did so that their shoulders were now touching. The younger woman closed her eyes and let the warmth of the contact wash over her.

 

“Why are you hiding in Astrometrics?” Janeway asked carefully. “I have been waiting...impatiently...to see you for twenty four hours and instead of coming to speak to me you ran here.”

 

Seven, her eyes still shut, let the words wash over her. The fact that Janeway had been waiting to speak to her throughout the regeneration cycle gave her equal parts hope and fear. Seven was scared. It was very un-borg to feel fear. Human's usually felt fear as a protection mechanism, it initiated a fight or flight reaction when there may be peril. The blonde was scared of being rejected and she understood now that attending her post in Astrometrics had been a mechanism of flight. Now that the Captain had located her it was time to stand her ground and get the answers she needed.

 

“I am afraid that you will regret our actions and reject a romantic liaison” Seven admitted. “You had previously distanced yourself from me and I surmise that this was due to a fear of such a bond forming.”

 

When the holographic Doctor had been attempting to tutor her in human behaviour he had once used the phrase 'honesty is the best policy'. Out of all the earth sayings that he or other crew mates had taught her this one had resonated with her the most. Honesty built trust and she had read that solid romantic relationships were built on trust as well as mutual attraction. So honesty really did seem to be the best policy in this instance.

 

The Captain seemed pleased with the level of openness and clasped Seven's hand in her own. A slight tug caused Seven to finally open her eyes again and turn her head in the smaller woman's direction. Janeway was smiling warmly and very openly at her. It was an expression that held a great deal of affection and for a moment the ex-borg found it difficult to maintain a regular breathing pattern. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat like she may choke, but a soothing stroke of Janeway's thumb against her own released that tension and she drew a deep breath.

 

“I was afraid but I am not afraid anymore” the older woman assured her. “The thought of losing you...well it gave me a new perspective. _**One is not struck by the truth until prompted quite accidentally by some external event**_.”

 

Seven of Nine, despite having hope, could barely believe what she was hearing. The Captain was clearly not going to shut a relationship between them down. The ex-borg could feel herself smiling in an unfamiliar and uncontrollable manner. She did recognise that the last part of Janeway's declaration had not been in the Captain's own words.

 

“You are quoting your book at me again” Seven observed.

 

Janeway twisted around and shuffled even closer to the blonde; pressing herself into the gap between Seven and the console so they were chest to chest. Or as least as close to chest to chest as they could get considering the height difference. The blonde couldn't focus on anything except the older woman's proximity and was completely lost in her grey eyes.

 

“I don't want to look back in twenty years time like Steven's does and see a life of servitude full of missed opportunities” Janeway said quietly.

 

The brunette's eyes dipped to Seven's lips and before the ex-borg could formulate any kind of response Janeway grasped the back of her neck and tugged her down into a kiss.

 

Seven responded eagerly, keen to replicate the passionate kiss they had shared on the alien starship. Janeway's mouth moved fluently over her own, the older woman's hands clutching at her shoulders and neck solidly enough for the ex-borg to feel nails pressing into her skin. It was a surprisingly pleasant sensation which only served to impassion Seven more. She had no idea what made her so bold but on reaction alone she pressed her Captain even firmer against the console, lifting the smaller woman so she was sat at the edge of the panel with Seven stood between her legs.

 

Janeway gasped loudly and moaned at the action before vigorously attacking the ex-borg's mouth again. The older woman ran her tongue across Seven's lower lip before plundering her mouth. The sensation of Janeway caressing her in such an intimate way made the blonde's legs feel weak. All she could feel and focus on was the sensation of the Captain's body pressed hot against her and their tongues gliding against each other in an erotic dance.

 

Then Janeway was pulling out of the kiss and pressing her hands flat against Seven's shoulder, preventing her dipping back in to kiss the older woman. The ex-borg was completely disorientated and disappointed that they had suddenly halted their affections. She was also confused especially as Janeway appeared to be as aroused and dazed as she was. The older woman's cheeks were reddened, her hair gloriously mused and her black pupils blown wide with desire. Seven needed to pressed against her again but when she leant her weight forward the Captain gently eased her back again.

 

“I suggest we move to somewhere more private” Janeway explained breathlessly.

 

Seven found that plan _**more**_ than acceptable.

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

Kathryn Janeway had managed something akin to her usual reserve on route from the astrometrics lab to the turbo lift. Seven walked steadily alongside, hands tucked behind her back and a respectable distance away. Crew members that passed greeted them as normal without any sign that they suspected anything.

 

It wasn't that the Captain intended to hide their relationship although she would like a few days of exploration before announcing it to the other senior officers. For a relationship to work without causing personal issues or resentment there must be no impropriety between them in public. That could be saved for behind closed doors. There could be no more kissing in astrometrics.

 

As soon as the turbo lift doors closed behind them and they were alone that plan went up in smoke. Janeway found herself pressed up against the wall of the lift, her mouth being ravished by the ex-borg. She had no idea if she had initiated the kiss or if it had been the younger woman.

 

The turbo lift stopped five decks above her own quarters and the two of them jumped apart before the lift doors slid open. Tom Paris stepped onto the lift with them, eyeing the two of them with suspicion before his lips twitched into a clear knowing smirk.

 

“Good evening Captain, Seven” he greeted.

 

Janeway rolled her eyes at the young pilot. Tom was observant especially when it came to human relations. He was also a notorious gossip so it was likely half the senior staff would be gossiping about them before they had even made it to her quarters.

 

“Good evening” Seven replied far more civilly than normal.

 

Tom's smile widened further and he tried to hide it by glancing down at the turbo lift's floor. Janeway considered demanding his silence but she didn't want the ex-borg to think she was ashamed of what they were doing. The crew would find out soon enough without the young man spreading rumours. Anyway, with a bit of luck the first person he would tell would be B'Elanna who would surely try to delay him announcing his suspicions around to the crew.

 

The lift stopped at the fifth deck and Tom alighted, taking his leave with a polite nod of his head, an action at odds with the stupid grin he still wore. The doors closed again, leaving them alone for the final two decks until the Captain's quarters.

 

“Lieutenant Paris is aware of the nature of our interactions” the Asrometrics Officer stated.

 

Janeway glanced at Seven, something she hadn't allowed herself to do whilst Tom was present. The blonde's normally perfect hair was mused and loose where the Captain had buried her hands hands in it only moments before. It was no wonder he had guessed their intentions so quickly. They had made it far to easy for him.

 

“Mhmmm” the Captain agreed.

 

The turbo lift stopped at the third deck and the pair alighted. This time Janeway stayed close to Seven as they walked, their arms brushing as they both strode out, eager to reach the privacy of Janeway's living space. It was only Tuvok or Chakotay that would see them here and it was likely that the Vulcan was busy meditating and her First Officer would be socialising elsewhere on the ship. They crossed neither man on the short journey to the Captain's door.

 

Janeway entered the quarter's first with Seven hot on her heels. She had intended to slow things down and offer the younger woman a beverage but before the doors had even fully shut Kathryn felt a tug on her elbow and she was spun around into the blonde's awaiting arms. Seven's full lips claimed her own again, her tongue instantly beginning its earlier exploration of Janeway's mouth.

 

The younger woman was a surprisingly good kisser for someone who had spent the larger part of her life as part of the borg collective. Undoubtedly Seven would have studied kissing as part of her education in human relationships but reading about techniques didn't guarantee a degree in skill when trying to execute them. The blonde was such a perfectionist though that Janeway should have guessed it would be amazing because Seven had put her mind to it.

 

The Captain felt the ex-borg's nimble hands unfastening the top of her uniform and the jacket was slid from her shoulders without breaking the kiss. Janeway would usually take greater care when undressing, removing her four pips which denoted her rank, before recycling the uniform. Tonight it littered her otherwise tidy floor.

 

Seven released the Captain's grey under shirt from her trousers. The younger woman's hands crept under the soft material and pressed against the skin of Janeway's back. Both hands were warm and left a trail of fire in their wake. The borg mesh on one hand felt different but still just as pleasurable and it wasn't like the older woman was put off by Seven's remaining borg features. The blonde began to slide her hands up towards Janeway's shoulders, taking the grey shirt up with her. Janeway broke the kiss and cupped Seven's face between her hands.

 

“Are you sure you are ready to make this physical” the older woman asked.

 

Seven didn't respond with words, she just smirked and grasped the bottom of the Captain's under shirt, tugging it up and off the smaller woman. That piece of clothing also ended up on the floor much to Janeway's amusement. It was also extremely hot.

 

“I'll take that as a yes” she laughed.

 

Seven continued to kiss her eagerly, hands unabashedly gliding all over Janeway's revealed skin. When they parted for breath she couldn't quite believe that someone as young and as beautiful as Seven of Nine could be looking at her in that way. The blonde was breathing heavily, her hair dishevelled, her pupils blown wide with desire as her eyes danced from Janeway's face and down her body. Normally Kathryn would be shy under such close inspection but it was hard not to be complimented by Seven's awed gaze.

 

“I would like to do this in your bed...unless you would prefer another location?” the blonde asked breathlessly.

 

“Bed is good” she replied eagerly; grasping Seven's hand and leading her through to the bed room.

 

Janeway wouldn't be against trying the sofa or the table at a later date but she didn't want this to be a quick lust fuelled fumble. She wanted to be able to savour their first time. She was also keen to get the younger woman out of her bio-suit.

 

So as soon as they were stood alongside the bed Janeway began to unzip the bio suit and tug it down so it was sitting on the blondes hips. There was no underwear under the clothing so Janeway had an uninterrupted view of the blonde's upper body. On the whole it was pale skin and sculptured curves with a large implant splaying out from the right side of her abdomen.

 

Janeway traced the edge of the implant, drawing a gasp from the younger woman, before dancing her fingertips across the skin of her toned stomach. She let her hands journey up further before cupping Seven's breasts and swiping her thumbs over erect nipples.

 

“Captain...” Seven gasped. She arched into the contact, clearly enjoying it.

 

There would be occasions when Janeway would no doubt enjoy the blonde using her official title in bed but tonight she wanted to hear her name tripping of the younger woman's lips for the first time.

 

“Considering what we are doing you should really call me Kathryn” she pointed out.

 

A flash of a smile appeared on Seven's face before it was replaced by desire again. Seven's hands grasped at her shoulders and she pressed their foreheads together. The brunette could feel her shaking slightly with emotion.

 

“Kathryn...” Seven moaned.

 

At the raspy sound of her name from the younger woman's lips Janeway lost all her remaining self control. She pulled the blonde down onto the bed on top of her and kissed the other woman with every ounce of feeling she had in her.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

When Janeway's alarm went off to wake her for the next shift she was dazed and tired. She'd probably only had three hours of sleep after the most mind blowing night ever. She quickly became aware of a warm body pressed behind her, with an arm thrown over her ribcage. The Captain was quite surprised the blonde had managed to lie in bed for so long but then she realised that Seven was shifting slowly and her body was supple and relaxed like she too had just been awoken .

 

“Morning” the younger woman mumbled, dropping a gentle kiss on Janeway's shoulder.

 

The older woman turned onto her other side to face Seven without dislodging the arm that was draped around her. The blonde had definitely been sleeping too which was nearly as amazing to Janeway as the feeling of waking in her arms.

 

“Morning” she finally replied.

 

Seven cuddled in a bit closer and kissed Janeway's shoulder again. The older woman decided they could stay like this for a few more minutes before facing the new day...reaping the benefits of their turning point.

 


End file.
